A Birthday Celebration

Okay..I know that I've been posting these pictures on all different venues...so if you 'know' me other places, this may just be a review...but I've got to say that this was the first time that I felt like I could actually capture Sweetpea's entire celebration...

A couple posts ago I mentioned that I practically threw together this birthday party and invited people about...oh, 2-3 days in advance...it's wonder anyone showed up..but, Maggie has some loyal and sweet friends...

My wonderful Italian Stallion took care of so many details, including making sure that Little Munchkin was down for the count during the entire party...(I know that may seem mean to some, but really, trying to make sure a house full of 8 year olds are doing okay while also keeping an eye on a strong willed 2 year old...well, it just doesn't mix so well)

Anyway, I was able to keep things running AND get some good shots...most of them are posted on my facebook site, but I thought I'd share a few here for you as well...

What is a Veteran?

It was Veteran's Day on Wednesday of this week.  The girls talked a lot about it at school and when they came home, they had much to discuss regarding the military...it went a little like this:

Mommy:  "So girls, what did you do in school today?"

Sweetpea: "We learned about veterans and stuff"

Daddy: "Great, what were you learning about?"

Peanut: "Well...do we know a veteran?"

Daddy: "Well, Mommy's aunt is a veteran."

Sweetpea: "Wow!!  Did she fight in a war"

Mommy: 'No, honey I don't think she fought in a war, but she helped people and had to learn about how to be in the military."

Sweetpea: "So, what did she do?  Like wash clothes and stuff?"

Not sure what their ideas are concerning the military but obviously it's a hard job, because it is being equated with washing clothes...hmmmm.

What kind of mother am I???

Okay seriously...

My daughter's birthday was LAST week...a whole 7 days ago...yep...we've been "talking" about a party for ages...I mean, it's her first year back to school...she's got a classroom of little girls whom she adores (and may I interject here that I have unbelievably blessed with how her teacher runs that classroom and models behavior because I was fearing "catiness" and tears and we've had NONE so far!)

Yep...Mommy was supposed to make these cute little invitations and plan a big ole party and celebrate the fact that she is turning 8...

*crickets*

*more silence*

Umm..yeah, so I called a few parents today and asked if their daughters might be available THIS Saturday as we are going to "celebrate" Sweetpea's birthday in the afternoon...CALLED THEM...ON THE PHONE...and...okay, I"m shamefully admitting this...I even EMAILED a couple because I didn't have their phone numbers...

Uh, HELLO...it's WEDNESDAY...

no invitations, no fancy paper, no theme...I did get some party plates from Target...does that count?

I've GOT to get my behind in motion with this thing...what kind of mother does this to her overzealous birthday girl?  Obviously a crazy, procrastinating one who rather likes lounging on the couch sneaking halloween candy while watching movies with her husband in the evening on the new TV that he secretly went out and bought bought last Saturday for the well being of our children's squinting eyes...(don't get me started!)

So...that's where we are right now...I think I'll be a bit busy Saturday morning...I've pushed all my photo sessions to Sunday afternoon so that I can actually have a semi clean house for the madhouse of little girls that will overtake our dwelling place party. 

Wish me luck!

Sometimes all you need is a hair cut

The last time I had my hair cut was December of 2008...

Needless to say:  It's been awhile.

The thing is, I don't really have a "style" to my hair...it basically just hangs there so that I'm not bald...I put it in a ponytail most of the time and if that's not happenin' you better believe that my sunglasses are being used as a headband...even in the dead of winter!

However, as I'm in the "growing it long" stage, I failed to realize that without care, it basically stops growing and just breaks off...that's where I am...

I haven't gone back to get my hair cut because I spent a LOT of money on my hair cut in Dec. and I didn't like it...they "styled" it and I looked like a 35 year old mother of 3 trying to be 25 and fancy free! and I felt ridiculous..so I just said, forget it...I 'll just "Let it grow out"...

I have now realized that without that "care", my "hair" can take on the look of a disheveled and apathetic woman...and that's not really how I want to portray myself to anyone, especially my own girls...and so, I went to get my hair cut today...finally! 

I went to our quaint little town to a family owned place...I even got lost, called them and the owner stood out on the street and waved me down until she was able to find me a parking spot on the street in front of the hair studio...talk about service!

And then, *Tina* welcomes me and proceeds to pamper me and my head of hair...we got to chatting and discovered that we shared a common bond in Jesus and well...it was just the most pleasant appointment I think I've ever had...I can't even tell you what I thought about my hair when I walked out because I didn't even look at it...I just had the most relaxing time and such incredible conversation!

I don't have pictures of my hair, because it really didn't change much, it was just a trim to get the breakage off...but, that 60 minutes of conversation and pampering has led me to believe once again in hair cuts!  I will be back again!  It won't go untamed for that long this time around...Now, if I could just get up enough gumption to stop biting my nails...I'd be on my way to some "stylish" living!

"This might be about one of the funnest days ever..."

Those were the words out of Peanut's mouth today...

Yep, out of the mouth of babes comes pure joy and contentment over simplicity!  Today was nothing really special (other than it was almost 70 degrees on a Monday in NOVEMBER) but other than that, it was just a regular Monday...

We started off going to the park...that was the original plan (park, library, costco, home)...but on the way we noticed that the new Kroger had opened...and well, I'm all about new places...so we just took a little detour and made our way in...

Let me just say that any store that has mini shopping carts for little kiddos has my vote.  Not that actually frequent Kroger, but all the same, I will THINK of it more often...particularly when my children are throwing temper tantrums in the middle of the aisles at Meijer perhaps??

Anyway, Peanut and Little Munchkin each got their own cart and I basically just let them "peruse" the toy aisles and put "stuff" in it for fun...I suppose this is NOT the most "adult" thing to do...considering I had NO plans to take all the items back into their proper places being that we WEREN'T actually going to purchase any of the "cargo" either...but, oh well...they were all fresh-faced new employees who were eager and willing to help a poor, worn-out mother trying to "make it" through her grocery shopping experience.  (although, all I bought was conditioner...so I guess I can't really use "shopping" as an excuse in this case...but as I said, oh well) 

Well, once our "shopping" was done, we finally made it over to the park...I left my camera at home and just played with the girls on the slides, the swings, the monkey bars...I will say that somewhere along the line, my body quit "liking" playgrounds...swings pretty much make me sick, slides are just way too fast and staticky for my taste and monkey bars?  yeah, I was never very good on those anyway...such a party pooper I know!!!  But, I sucked it up today and played hard.  We stuck it out for about an hour and then headed to our next destination...

COSTCO...my girls love this place...particularly because Mommy knows all the Photo Lab people which happens to be next to all the big screen TVs which also HAPPEN to be playing all their favorite movies...today was Bolt, Ice Age and Madagascar..they were in heaven...I picked up the photos and dug in my purse for 62 cents b/c I promised them a lemonade sprite before we left...I can't believe how they shared that thing allllllll the way to the car...one sip for Peanut, one sip for Little Munchkin, one sip for Peanut...back and forth...just suckin' up that High Fructose Corn Syrup, I know...but, you should have seen their little smiles...

Then, we landed into another detour...I saw this store: SugarDaddys.  I saw it advertised a long time ago on Food Network...They basically specialize in brownies and blondies...they're all cut into huge circles and they are delicious!!  We stopped in for a sample and just to check it out.  After a mouth watering double chocolate supreme brownie sample, we got back into our car and headed home...we skipped the library and planned our own "storytime ala Peanut and Mommy for Little Munchkin"...which is another blog post altogether, but it was a blast!!!  complete with wheels on the bus and shakin' up our milkshake!

And that's when Peanut said, "This might be about one of the funnest days ever Mom"...I guess it doesn't take a lot to make a day "fun" for her, but I am slightly suspicious that it had less to do about the places we went and more about the fact that Mommy was completely carefree and off the beaten path for awhile...I need to keep that in mind for often I think:)

Hope you have/had a great Monday!

Just a recap

Yep...just wanted to give you the "Low down" on the Birthday Girl's day!...it's been A DAY!

Peanut, Little Munchkin and I made and frosted cute little pumpkin bread muffins with LOADS of chocolate chips for the kiddos in Sweetpea's class...after a phone call from my brother and shoes falling off of Little Munchkin and hearing, "I do it Mommy, my self" a gazillion times...I didn't think we'd actually make it to her school at all...

Thankfully, the school secretary came to my rescue and got us down to the classroom before Sweetpea could officially freak out because her mother didn't show up for her birthday surprise!  Mommy photographer whipped out the ole camera and got lots of pics of her handin' out the goodies..

and of Little Munchkin diving in the MOMENT it was set before her!

Daddy and Popi showed up with a pizza party lunch...exclusively for our little family on an extra cafeteria table!  Then of course, Daddy had to make the rounds because you see, he is Mr. Popular, bein' the soccer coach and all...he's got a little following is all I've got to say!

Once we made it home, we took some time to play outdoors, because goodness, fall is NOT going to stick around much longer and we've got to get out in that sun and fresh air while we can...(plus it totally wears Little Munchkin out and at this point I NEEDED her to take a good  long nap!...

We met Daddy at Red Robin for dinner because that's just a standard thing we do around here for birthdays...they sing to you, you get a balloon and icecream...I mean, what MORE could you possibly want?  (and I do secretly love the bottomless steak fries...oh my goodness, grease in a basket and I'm in heaven!!)

AWANA topped off the evening and then to bed...she was awake still at 9:50pm...she wanted to tell me, "Mommy, in 5 minutes, I will officially be 8 years old!"...she's punctual if anything, let me tell you!

She's EIGHT

The days are getting away from me...they are going by so fast...life is full and fun and exciting and then comes the laundry to dash my spirits, but I'm up again with tickle fights and homemade cookies...

My firstborn is 8 today.

How is this possible? 

I know, duh, she was born 8 years ago...ummm, the earth keeps spinning...come on...

yes, yes I know this...but seriously, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?  I didn't even have a digital camera back then and so I don't have an image to share with you....unless I go digging through the piles photos in  my basement to show you my sweet little one after her birth...I'll share a few from around age 4 and up though...the "through the years" photos...

She's my sweet firstborn...my first baby!  I'm thankful for so many things about her:

*her sensitive spirit...the way she is remorseful immediately after she recognizes that she's possibly hurt someone's feelings or disappointed Mom or Dad

*the way she cares for her younger sisters, how she plays with them, even to the point of listening to the SAME Miss Pattycake songs over and over and over again, just to spend time with Little Munchkin!

*her compassionate heart...how she LOVES us, her siblings, her family and her friends...the heart she puts into her notes to us, her pictures she hangs, the little things she says purposefully to "make our day"

*her desire to do right, even though it scares her, the thought of being alone...she WILL stand strong, even through her tears.

*her hugs and sweet voice when she wants to let me know that she loves me

* her "bright ideas" that usually mean a lot of work for Mom, but in the end, it turns out to be quite fun!

*her laugh and how she tries to make everyone feel like they are a part of what's going on

Thank you Lord for such a sweet little girl...thank you for entrusting her to us! 

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!!