Ilsa's party decorations

I decided to make the decorations for Ilsa's 1st birthday party.  I thought this might be the only opportunity I had to make all the pretty things I wanted her to have at a birthday party.  My two other monsters started having opinions about such things at a very early age.  It's nothing spectacular, pretty simple really, but everything was fun (and cheap) to make.

I made the allergy friendly cake recipe and then crumb coated this cake with a homemade lemon strawberry butter cream (made with Earth Balance).  For the swirly decor I used a couple of cans of Pillsbury because it took so much frosting and our beloved Earth Balance is getting more expensive by the minute!  

I made this banner from material scraps and bias tape.  It was the fastest sewing project I've ever finished.  I say finished because I have started and quit many projects very quickly!

I made these flower puffs for the back of all the chairs.  I just took four pieces of tissue paper and folded accordian style then pinched in the middle with a pipe cleaner and fluffed up each of the pieces.

Instead of a pinata we made a balloon smash.  The prizes were inside the balloons.  

This was made out of coffee filters!  I found this idea and tutorial at http://colorsareblushandbashful.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-paper-lantern.html

This one is made from streamers.  I just twisted the streamers to look like flowers and hot glued to the paper lantern.

I found this tutorial http://www.theidearoom.net/2011/01/tissue-rosette-kissing-balls.html to make kissing balls out of streamers and styrofoam balls and used the same idea on a paper lantern to hang up.

It Finally Happened...

The kids are sick!!!  We made it through the whole winter with no sickies and now, when it is beautiful outside and flu season is over, the kids are all sick.  Shib has had a cold for about a week now.  She is all snotty nosed and gross.  Biz and Aev both had fevers today and were complaining of headaches.  So, we spent this beautifully hot and summer like day inside watching endless hours of Netflix.  It was awesome.  Oh wait, it was totally boring.  Okay, it was a little awesome.

I had that mother guilt/anxiety thing going on where I was worried about the kids being sick but still feeling guilty that they weren't outside "enjoying the day."  What's up with that?  Why can't I just take the day as it comes?  It's like I always feel like I should be doing the opposite of whatever I'm doing.  As if it would be healthy at all to take feverish kids out on a 95 degree day.  No, I have to obsess all day about how they are stuck inside like it's the last hot day we are ever going to have.  I also acted as if they are the only children to ever have a fever.  I couldn't stop obsessing about why they were sick.  Did they catch a virus and from where? Was it from the toy aisle at Target?  Was it a kid at soccer or blastball?  Was it from Kyle working at the hospital and now they have some crazy incurable hospital disease?  Are they over heated and dehydrated because I insist on them always "enjoying the day" even if it's a zillion degrees out?  Is it allergies?  Seriously, what is wrong with me?  

I Got Nothin...

Shib is still waking up at all hours of the night.  I don't know what to do about this and I'm sleepy.  I'm a terrible mother and I have no discipline when it comes to listening to my enormous baby (in all senses of the word) cry.  I'm back to being referred to as Stay-at-home Loser.  I will respond to it.

SAHL signing off.

"Arrrrgh!  Don't we look like pirates  Mikey?!"

Strawberry Shortcake Party!

Jelly turned 4!  She wanted a Strawberry Shortcake party, so her mommy and I went looking for supplies.  You know, those character party supplies are pretty expensive, so I went looking on the internet for ideas.  We managed to come up with a cute party that was Strawberry Shortcake inspired and the little strawberry girl made very little appearance, but the little red haired girl was non the wiser.  Here are some pictures from the fun day.

Strawberry shaped cookie pops

These were cookies in a little clay pot that were at each place setting.

I just thought these crepe paper flowers were cute.  

The party table all ready for the kids!

Pink frosted cupcakes were requested by the birthday girl.  I added the strawberry tops made out of rolled out Starburst candies.

The kids getting ready to eat some sugar!

Jelly Bean blowing out her four candles.  I can't believe she's 4!   

The kids showing off the strawberry seeds they just planted in their little pots.

The party continuing with a very suspenseful game of Duck, Duck, Goose or Duck, Duck, Gray Duck depending on if you grew up in Minnesota or ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD!

3 Reasons I Wish it Were Still the Weekend

1.  Kyle usually gets up early with the kids on the weekend and lets me sleep awhile.  Now it's Monday, so I awoke to a leaky baby laying next to me.  When I say leaky, I mean she leaked through her diaper and there was no escaping the pond she created in my bed.

2.  Because it was Mother's Day weekend I decided it was okay to eat donuts and drink soda all weekend.  Now it's Monday, and I have no donuts.

3.  It was a beautifully warm and sunny weekend.  Now it's Monday, and the sun is nowhere to be found.

We are so good at being so bad...

at taking pictures!  My little family has such a hard time taking a family picture.  I know all families feel this way, but seriously, Kyle and I are as bad as the kids.  We have major photo taking issues.  Here are our attempts at a nice family photo on Easter.  The last one turned out okay.  At least we were all smiling and no one has that oh so familiar look of tired eyes.  And, on another positive note, the kids fingers are far away from their noses and the tears haven't started rolling out yet.

Happy Family:  Take 1

Happy Family:  Take 2

Happy Family:  Take 3
Good enough.  That'll do till next year.