Don't be tardy to the party

But if you're a mere 3 and a half months posting pictures of the event, well...yeah.

So, back in October (hangs head in shame), Big A had a big birthday. Number 5! We celebrated like gangbusters and then came 3 major holidays, an anniversary, a big trip and well, here we are. Let's take a step back into yester-year to recap the celebration.

My birthday girl. She loves some polka dots.

For those of you just joining us, hubby gives the birthday girl roses for her birthday. One rose for every year we're celebrating. And he's done this since they were born. Yeah, he's a keeper.

Big A and her birthday roses

For the home celebration, we picked up a few cupcakes and had a mini-party before bedtime on her actual birthday.

And this is the look of getting EXACTLY what you asked for.

A cake fit for a princess

I really have to say that our parties are a lot of fun. We have a lot of GREAT friends who are not afraid to get down and play with all of the kids. It's a blast to watch!

Big A with a new friend from school

Despite Little A's look of horror, the party was a big success and we were so glad to share it with everyone. It's so hard to believe that I've got a 5 year old. They grow up entirely too quickly!

A Moment in Time

My sweet little girl,

It's hard for me to fathom that it was just 5 short years ago that I was in the hospital meeting you for the very first time.

That first year flew by as you hit so many milestones.

Year 2 moved pretty quickly and showed me that you were always meant to be a big sister.

Year 3 reminded me of just what a caring and sensitive soul you have.

Year 4 made me take notice that you were no longer a toddler anymore, but truly a little girl.

Today, you are welcomed into the 5 year old club! I can't believe it's already here.

You amaze me. Your giggles at my funny songs; your smile when you know you've done a good thing; your sensitive heart; your giving spirit. These are just a few of the things that make me so incredibly proud to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

xoxo
Mommy

A "Little A" Birthday

With all the drama that's gone around here recently, I've been lax in doing a recap of the very big birthday of the very Little A.

As you might remember, I made the mistake of asking her what theme she would like on her cake. She told me Max & Ruby. I panicked. Thankfully, hubby reminded her of how much she loves butterflies. And voila. Presenting, the birthday cookie cake.

First things first. Time for the annual birthday flowers. This is a tradition that hubby started with Big A on her first birthday. The birthday girl gets one rose for every year that they are celebrating. The mom and sister get 1 rose each...for good measure. It's very sweet and the girls love it!

Now it was time to party. I rented out a nearby gym full of trampolines, bouncy floors and ample room to tumble. Here are the A's ready to bound down the long trampoline.

The birthday girl was all smiles.

After munching on snacks and cake, it was on to presents. Both girls are currently obsessed with Hello Kitty. Little A was showing me her stickers that she was very excited about.

After a whole lot of partying, it was time for her big gift. Her first bike! She was more than ready to tackle this big girl gift and now she's off and running.

Another big birthday in the books. Now just another 5 months before the planning starts all over again for the next one. Sigh. Oh, who are we kidding? I love this stuff.

Bicycle...bicycle...BICYCLE!

So, the big gift request for the birthday this year was a bicycle. Big A was ready to upgrade from her big wheel. After every gift that she opening at her celebrations, she continually reminded us that "it's not the bike that I really want". So, after her party last weekend, my father-in-law took her to the store and let her pick out her new bike.

Here she is, all smiles, with her new bike

So, we headed to a large empty parking lot, which provided the perfect training ground for a new rider. Daddy gives some instructions.
Little A happily took over the captain position of the big wheel
Daddy shows us the WRONG way to man the big wheel. At least he's wearing a helmet.
Big A rides around with her Pappy
Little A enjoys some time on the swings

This capped off the birthday celebrations for this year. No more birthday talk until next April. Now THAT'S something to celebrate!

Is That All There Is?

Oh, to have the complicated life of a 4 year old. As I said last week, Big A had a big birthday and it seemed like the celebration lasted for days and days. It seemed like no matter what we presented her with, she wanted something different. Something more. Good grief, the entitlement has already started. However, you'll have to come back tomorrow to see what it is she wanted that she ended up getting. In the meantime, here are a few pics of the celebration that I especially love.

Here she is getting her annual birthday flowers from Daddy. This is a tradition that I really love.

This girl loves to play dress up. She got a new purse and gloves that she's been wearing non-stop.
Here's the birthday cake that I made for her. See, I can actually bake something without burning it.
At her big party, she was surrounded by friends who gave her lots more princess dress up stuff. The house is now teeming with feather boas and tiaras.
And her friends look on as she examines a new Cinderella figurine set that she can't wait to tear into.
All in all, we had lots of fun and it was definitely a momentous birthday. However, with the opening of each present, she kept saying one thing over and over. "But it isn't the _____ that I wanted."

Happy Birthday, My Darling Girl

My Precious Girl,

It's unbelievable to me that just 4 short years ago today, I was lying in a hospital bed, staring at your perfect little face, and frightened of the fact that I was now your mommy. Despite the fact that I had waited so long to finally meet you, it seems like the moment came and went far too quickly.

Nobody can warn you of the immense joy and pain that surrounds the job of raising a child. You love milestones and curse them for leaving in the blink of an eye. You relish first words and are then annoyed when they repeat the ones you don't want to hear. You treasure hugs and sweet whispers of "I love you mommy" and weep at the thought of teen drama erasing those words from her memory.

There is no greater joy in my life than being your mom. Your sweet smile, your loving nature, & your generous spirit are just a few of the things that make you so incredibly special to this world and to me. Thank you for being you!

As we celebrate your 4th year today, I thank my lucky stars that you landed in our lives, to change it for so much better. Happy Birthday My Darling!
Love Always & Forever,

Mommy

Birthday Parties for Dummies

Am I the only mom out there who spends WAY too much time & effort planning a kid's birthday party? Big A is turning 4 next week (which is simply unbelievable to me) and I slept nary a wink last night due to worry about the invitations not yet going out for her party next weekend. And so, I sit here feverishly addressing invites and looking everywhere for my address list because I keep thinking of one more person that I want to invite. (And my friends wonder how I end up with 40 people at an event)

I've secured the venue, am mailing out invites today and am ready to order the cake. Now, for the REAL problem. The birthday favor for the guests. Gah!!! This is something that I hate coming up with. I even boycotted favors for the last 2 parties because I was over it. However, I really want to send the kids home from the party with something cool, so here I sit in a cold sweat, hoping that a great idea will hit me like a bolt of lightening...and soon.

So, does anyone have a great party favor idea that doesn't include ordering cheap crap from Oriental Trading Company?

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta - Angie's Birthday Recap

Just in case you missed it last week, I had a birthday. I don't know how you could've missed it because I mentioned it no less than 3,105 times over the last month. But, we'll put that aside.

Ok, I'm seriously just kidding. My birthdays have never really been a big deal because my family really never made a big deal about it. So, I now overcompensate BIG TIME with my kids because I want them to feel important on their day each year. But, that's a post for another day.

Hubby bought me a cookie cake on my actual bday last week and presented it to me after I had a REALLY bad day. Have I ever mentioned my love affair with the Great American Cookie Company? Oh my. It's bad. So bad, that the cake you see below was mostly inhaled by yours truly. Which would explain why my pants are tighter this week. Bleh. Here's me being presented my cake. Yes, those are Mickey Mouse ears on my head.


I'm just thankful that hubby opted for the single digit candles. We would've visited fire danger territory if he had gone another direction. Did I mention how yummy the cake was?

So, last Friday, hubby surprised me with an appointment at my fave local day spa. I was pampered with a massage and other services. It was heavenly. And then he took me out to dinner at a local fave restaurant. It was yummy Italian, followed by ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. (This could also be a contributor to my pants issue this week) We ended the night at a local arcade where hubby kicked my arse at basketball and air hockey. The air hockey was a rematch from last year where I whipped up on him pretty badly. And suffered a pretty nasty cut and bruise on my arm for getting just a bit too wrapped up in my level of play. Did I mention I'm a wee bit competitive? And a sore loser?

It was a lovely birthday! And just for the record, I'm still holding out for a surprise party. Just one. Before I die. Please.

Now, go check out Candid Carrie for more Fx4 entries for this week!

Thursday Thirteen

I haven't done a Thursday Thirteen in a few weeks now. I keep getting side-tracked with all the madness fun stuff that's been going on. We're heading into a very busy weekend and next Tuesday is going to be a momentous day. Yes, it's a national holiday my birthday, but that's not even the MOST exciting thing happening that day. It will be Little A's 1st Day of Preschool! I'm really excited and really sad all at the same time. I simply cannot believe that little munchkin is ready to start school 2 days a week already. Where does the time ago?

So, before I start singing "Cat's in the Cradle", let's lighten things up here. First, I made mention of a little giveaway that I'm brewing. It's going to be cool and announced here on Sunday, so stay tuned!

Second, I love lists and I love gifts, so I REALLY love it when I can combine the 2. And so, I bring you:

Thirteen Gifts I Would Buy Myself for My Birthday (if I had the cash)
*And this is in NO WAY meant to be a hint dropper. It's just fun and I was running short on fab blogging ideas.

1. I am a purveyor of kitchen tools. I am currently coveting a Japanese Santoku knife to add to my cooking repertoire.

2. Since I am trying to reignite my love of reading, there are a couple of books that I would like to add. I loved Jen Lancaster's first book so much, that I want to get her 2 follow ups. "Bright Lights, Big Ass" and "Such a Pretty Fat"

3. On my trip to Maine this past May, I finally acquired a pair of incredibly comfy L.L. Bean flip flops. I want another pair. I've worn this pair almost every day this summer and they're quickly approaching worn out status. The good news, they're on sale right now!

4. I love chocolate. Godiva chocolate more specifically. The milk chocolate truffles show up in my dreams frequently. Mmm mmm mmm.

5. Since I'm going to jump back on the weight loss bandwagon VERY soon, I need an appropriate receptacle for my iPod while I run. I have yet to find earbuds and an arm band that will work. It's very frustrating. Any recommendations out there?

6. With all this weight that I'm going to lose, I'm going to need to buy new clothes. What a shame. So, an Old Navy giftcard would be at the top of my list.

7. It's no secret that I love to take pictures and I'm hopelessly inept when it comes to using my DSLR that I got for my bday LAST year. I need a workshop where an expert can show me how to use this silly thing (because I am NOT reading the owner's manual).

8. And after I master using my DSLR, I would go buy a copy of Photoshop so I could make my pics look even better. Oh, and I'll need a workshop on how to use Photoshop. See reason above.

9. I am slowly but surely getting caught up on my scrapbooking endeavors. A couple of things I would get myself are a prepaid plan with Shutterfly so I would actually PRINT a fraction of the 2000 pics that I've uploaded in the last year. And then, I would drop a load of cheddar at one of MANY local scrapbooking supply stores.

10. Something that I enjoyed tremendously as a younger person (ahem) was horseback riding. I am dying to go again. I'm not talking barrel racing. Maybe a trail ride or something.

11. And after that horseback riding adventure, and all this exercising, I'm going to need a spa day. Yes, a spa day full of massage, manicure, pedicure, & waxing. The whole kit & kaboodle!

12. I love B&B's. I've stayed in a few different ones and so far, I've yet to be disappointed. I would love a weekend at our local Stone Fort Inn or drive up the road to Whitestone Inn. Ah, can we say "relaxation"?

13. And finally, I would acquire a full time personal assistant to do housework and other silly tasks that take away from me spending time with my family and my hobbies. Wait, this belongs on the list of "Things I would do if I won the lottery". Oh well, how much do you think an assistant for the day costs?

Anatomy of a Birthday Party

We have attended a lot of birthday parties this year. I love kids birthday parties! I'm not sure why, because I'm quite sure I'm in the minority here. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I only had one birthday party as a kid and so now I'm living vicariously.

I tend to go way overboard with my own kids parties each year, so I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. This party in particular was for our friend Paige and her brilliant mommy went the route of holding it in a park. Here's how this little shindig went.

First, it's always important to choose just the right outfit. Keep in mind where the event is being held and what activities you might be participating in. Big A goes an interesting route with a WHITE dress. Hmm, we'll see how that choice comes into play shortly.

Little A goes more traditional with a sleeveless top and bloomers. Both girls appear ready for festivities.

It's a beautiful sunny day. We're ready to party! Paige's mommy brought an assortment of party games that the kiddos thoroughly enjoyed. Big A enjoyed chasing bubbles all over the place.

Little A got back to nature and channeled her inner bear. I see a lot of tree climbing in this girl's future.

And after a stirring rendition of "Happy Birthday" was sung, the kids dug into the cupcakes. I love cupcakes rather than a traditional cake. Kids aren't fighting over who has the bigger slice or more icing. I had the baby wipes on standby as Little A went to battle with her blue icing.

Daddy, however, wasn't quite as thoughtful. Big A wreaked some major havoc on this dress with her green icing. I was praying to the stain removal gods the whole way home.

And finally, the party favors. I have lost many a nights sleep over trying to figure out what to send the kids home with. I usually run into the problem of having a large age range of kids at my parties, so it's hard to just stick with 1 kind of favor. However, Paige's mom & dad hit this one out of the park. (No pun intended) All of the kids went home with these huge Life Is Good inflatable beach balls. Perfect summer birthday party favor! Here's Little A enjoying her ball.
And Big A enjoys her ball too! Notice the balls are different colors? Very important in keeping the harmony in this house. So as not to mistakenly let the sister play with your toy.

We all had a lovely time at the party and wish Paige a very happy birthday!

My Grandma, My Hero

Today is a very momentous occasion. It is my grandma's 86th birthday! My grandma is a truly amazing woman. I spent most of my formative years in her care and I feel very lucky to have done so. She taught me the importance of taking risks, being honest, being yourself and how to make a yummy pot roast. After my granddad passed away several years ago, I was concerned that my grandma might lose her zest for life. Boy, did she prove me wrong! In celebration of her birthday this year, my grandma decided to go hang-gliding for the 3rd TIME! Here's the pics from this incredible event. Grandma has shown me once again that age is just a number and that you only live once, so you might as well live life to the fullest! Happy 86th birthday Grandma! You're my hero.

Getting ready to take off

Air born!
A graceful landing

Ailey Turns 2...going on 14

The birthday girl!

Wow, it's hard to believe that Ailey is already 2 years old! She is so petite, that most people think she's much younger, that is until she starts displaying her vibrant personality. That kid is quite a character and she's already competing with her big sister for the spotlight. We had her birthday party festivites at the Creative Discovery Museum and it was GREAT! My many thanks to the staff for making an obsessive controlling mother's job of planning a party, much easier. Here are some pics from the party.

Ailey get her face painted by a staff member

Big Sister had to get in on some camera action

When Ashlyn turned a year old, Jake started this tradition of giving a rose to the birthday girl. He also gives me flowers, for being mommy. Very sweet! So, when Ailey came long, he started giving the birthday girl and mommy a rose and the sister gets a special flower of her own. Below is Jake giving Ailey her birthday flowers.

And big sister enjoys her special flower too!