Monday, June 20, 2011

The no theme, theme

My poor third baby.  After pirate princess, dinosaur,Nemo, Curious George, superhero and mermaid parties, I guess I'm tapped out.  Benjamin had a low key first birthday, like Allie and Martin, but then all I could come up with for his big boy two year old party was... dirt.  Really there is nothing else this kid likes more than to get dirty.  Well, maybe to get wet.  So, wet and dirty, that's all I've got and it doesn't make for a solid birthday theme.  I know, I know he'll live and really, he DID have an awesome party. 

Bright and colorful, just like my baby.  Thanks Tiffany for another awesome invite.  http://www.miragreetings.com/
Games and things Benjamin loves to do:

WATER: We rented a slip-n-slide from a family friend (Angel's Moonwalks) and it was the best idea for a summer birthday.  EVERYone from the birthday boy to his 63 year old uncle had a blast.

Getting dirty:  With all the shovels and dump trucks the kids had a good'ole dirty time at the sand table.
Balls!!!  We filled up our baby pool with a little bit of water and a ton of balls.

Hitting things!  Fortunatly for his bother and sister, this time it was a pinata.








Things Benjamin loves to eat!

Ben's favorite foods: hot dogs, fruit and chips!  I bought these little fast food baskets and lined them with butcher paper for an easy clean up.

Snow cones!
I bought a little Sunbeam snow cone maker from Target.  Great investment for summer!  I made the syrup with a simple syrup mixture and two koolaid packets. No highfrutose corn syrup here!


Lemonade!! This is so much easier than box drinks and sodas!

I know it's hard to tell, but he just destroyed a piece of watermelon!

In honor of Benjamin loving to be dirty, I made dirt cake in individual dump trucks.  The trucks also served as the party favor.


And messes they made...


And his favorite thing of all...fun time with good friends. 

Thanks kids for helping us celebrate Ben's second birthday!

So I guess we did have a theme after all.  "All things Ben".  Love you baby.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Batman Birthday


Martin LOVES Batman and so we invited a few friends over for hotdogs, cupcakes and some play time in the jump house.  Fun times!  
Thanks again Tiffany  http://www.miragreetings.com/.  Everyone LOVED the invites.

Batman pinata from SanAntonio, thanks to Uncle Jorge and Renzo.  The kids took their candy home in superhero cups for their party favors.

Gotham City chocolate cake with super hero and super villian toppers.  Cake Doctor saves me every time!
I bought some old comic books and made the toppers with all the superheros.

The kids wore their superhero costumes which in retrospect wasn't such a good idea for the bouce house.

Lots of superhero toys!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Holy Birthday Batman!


Wow! What a year. I had to go back and read my letter to you last year, because it seems impossible that one person could have changed so much in one tiny, twelve month year. I can't believe that with every year that passes, I'm continually surprised with how fast you guys grow up.  You'd think that after five years, it wouldn't catch me off guard, but sure enough, twelve months later, here I am writing about how shocked I am that you've grown up so much.  This past year, my writing has all but ceased and I'm trying my damnedest to make time for it.  Unlike my fellow scrapbooking and journaling mom friends, I don't have the patience to freeze time on paper.  This is my record, my tribute to every horrible and wonderful moment I want to capture and remember.  And now that it's been three months since I've started this entry, I'm determined to finish it, because, baby boy, I want to remember our moments.  The moments between three and four that helped me know you better, the moments I smile about later while daydreaming, the moments that hopfully I'll remember and be able to retell many years from now to my future grandchildren.

The day you were born, one of the first decipherable sentences that came out of my mouth was, "Look babe, he's like a little old man." You were so long and skinny, but with the face of a little old man. It was almost like you knew what this whole world was about already and you were annoyed that us young folk were messin' with your rest time. I still see this approach to life dominate your personality. I think for the first three years of your life, you've been trying to tell me who you are, but I just didn't hear you.
Look at that little old man face.
Well baby boy, we hear you, loud and clear.  This past year, you've found your voice. You know exactly who you are and I naively have been trying to teach and mold you to function in this world, when I should have been quietly listening to you tell me who you are and how this world will function with you in it.

Your first sleepover with the Hall girls.
Baby boy, you amazing me.  Your unwillingness to yeild to social standards and people's expectations makes me rethink my actions.  Your determination to follow through with a task once you've commited inspires me.  Your clever humor amuses me and your tendenancy to be selective in who you love but not how much you love favors me.  I love you and everything you are.  Happy birthday Martin James. 
"nana-nana-nana----bad mood"

O"fish"al swimmer certificate

Goofy boy


           

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Feliz Navidad

What? It's December already???? We ARE alive and busy with Advent. Thirteen more days until Christmas...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Balance

I was just telling my mom that I remember when I only had Allie and while she would take a nap in the afternoon I would clean my house like Martha Stewart's daughter-in-law on Thanksgiving Eve. Now I just turn my head in shame when I see Martha's face on the grocery store check out rack. I'm still in survival mode. Kindergarten is ok. I'm still not too excited about Allie being in our school system, and I'm having issues with the right balance of book education and character education that I want for my family, but to be honest I think I'll struggle with this the entire time my babies are in school and maybe some more. I am however, enjoying all of the excitement about "homework".

...and to even out all that chaos *up there* I bento and I love it! Allie does too. She finishes her lunch about 80% of the time! A mom told me she saw Allie and her best friend sharing cucumbers in the lunchroom. Love it!