Valentines Day

Looking back at this time last year we had snow!  It's been cold, but no such luck so far.  Personally, I'm 100% fine with no snow but the kids like it so I'd be okay with one day of it.  As long as it's over the weekend.  And starts on a Friday night and is gone by Sunday.  And we don't lose power.  And I don't end up having to do 5 loads of laundry due to having to switch out wet clothes every time they go out.  On second thought, I don't need a day.  The kids like other stuff too.

This year we built our traditional Valentine's day fort, Brian made the best pizza ever, and the kids found great satisfaction in not having to eat at the table because they got to eat in the floor in the fort.  Trust me, it's a big deal.  I got the kids a balloon from the dollar tree (which are still floating around) and you'd think I had given them the best thing ever.  I don't understand what it is with kids and balloons.  Bubbles are also a mystery.

Kids gave out valentines at school, which I put almost zero effort into.  You'd think I'd go all cutesy on them, but no.  That I can go generic on.  I'm a very complex individual.  I don't mind spending a lot of countless hours on my own kids, but for some random kids I don't know, nope.  Not worth it.  Which is what makes me the worst homeroom mom ever.  But that's not the point.  Ella on the other hand, got a very heartfelt little valentine (which was only given to her, not all the girls in the class).  I have very mixed emotions about this.  There's no way a 7/8 year old little boy came up with this on his own.  This had some help.  I'm not sure what the mom (surely this was not the help of a dad?) was going for with this.  I realize it's just a little crush.  I'm just not ready for this.  Ella's not into all this right now!  She shrugged it off.  She said she doesn't really play with him and she thinks he's annoying.  Hope she doesn't break his little heart.  So NOT ready for this!!  

Tangled Up in Riley's 5th Birthday

So glad Riley chose this as her party theme.  Although it was kind of by default actually.  When we did Maddex's birthday back in November we pretty  much cleaned Party City out of their clearance section.  Considering everything was .13-$2 we told the kids to go ahead and pick out what they wanted for their upcoming birthdays.  Ella got monkey stuff and Aiden got a shark pinata.  The only thing left was Disney princesses or Tangled.  So Riley went with Rapunzel.  We got streamers, napkins, pin the flower on the hair and a backdrop.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Well, when we went to get everything out to plan for her party I realized that I don't like all the generic birthday stuff.  I know this about myself and so I don't know why I even bought it in the first place.  I'm sure the monkeys will hit me the same way in May.  So I ended up only using the streamers and barely remembered the napkins mid party.  I had much bigger plans for her birthday than pin the flower on the hair.  Seriously though, what was I thinking?  Impulse clearance got the best of me.

I wanted to make a tower.  And it just so happened that I found the perfect boxes sitting at the end of someone's driveway!  Side note:  I found them when I was taking the kids to school.  I'm sure I'm not the only mom that just throws whatever on and half the time doesn't even wear shoes to drop the kids off.  I don't plan on anyone seeing me.  We get in the van, we drive, they get out, we go home.  Done.  Unfortunately, this driveway is right on the main road to school so I'm sure I was in fact seen by people who know me.  I can picture what I must have looked like cramming these boxes into the van looking like 'a hot mess', but I can swallow my pride on that one.  I had to have those boxes.  Now it's one thing for people to drive by and see me with the boxes, it's another when the owners come home.  Yep.  That's a whole new level of awkward I'd rather not have to encounter again.  My children will never know what I go through for them...

First order of business, invites.  I don't know why I was feeling overly crafty on this whole shin dig.  Safe to say though I'm good for a while.  I'm all crafted out.

What started as just making a Rapunzel tower turned into transforming our house into the set of the whole movie.  Riley kept saying, "We're going to be in a play!"

The tower took up the whole middle of the front room.

Our living room was the kingdom on one side and the floating lights/lanterns and gondola on the other.

The kingdom was our little craft section.  I had braids ready for the girls.  Riley actually did most of the work.  I used 2 spools of yarn (different shades of yellow) and we stuck a wooden spoon in the middle and she walked around and around and around and it just spun off.  After that I cut it in half and separated it into how many I needed (5).  Then I just braided them and tied it off.  Really easy actually.  I just used a metal barrette to clip it in their hair.   I made a headband for Maddex because I didn't think her little pony tail could handle the weight.  For that I just did a braid and weaved the headband (which was yellow) through it.

I had them all laid out so they could decorate their braids with flowers.  So much cooler than pin the flower on the hair.  We hot glued them:)

(This was actually post party.  Little stinker wouldn't wear it then!)

Our other little craft was making our own Pascal.  I found the pipe cleaner chameleons HERE.  I opted out on the googly eyes and we did a bead instead and used a sharpie for the eye.  I had all different colors for them to pick.  They really liked these!  Everybody also got a frying pan (black paper plate with a handle stapled on).  Also a hit.  In both aspects...they immediately started bopping each other in the head.  Which seemed to be totally cool with everybody:)

For the boys, our Ruffians and Thugs, I made satchels out of felt and swords out of left over cardboard.  Riley helped sew the satchels too.  I hid things around the house for the ruffians to steal and put in their satchels.  There were gold coins, jewels, diamonds and the golden flower's magic (glow sticks).  They really enjoyed that and it was good to have them running around doing that while the girls made their braids.  This is the only picture I have of the satchel and sword (courtesy of the Ninja Turtle).  The frying pans also doubled as paddles:)  I love how they put their little Pascals on the front of the boat too.  Cuties.

Speaking of ruffians and thugs..."They just can't get my nose right!"

The kitchen was the Snuggly Duckling (shocker, right?).  When I told them we were open they came in like a stampede and snarfed everything down just as fast.  Then off they went bouncing between the tower and the boat, the girls chasing after the boys.

 They were all having so much fun I had to squeeze in doing cake and presents at the end.  Grandma made her cake for her and had a little princess cupcake for each of the kids.

This was one of my favorite parties I've done.  All the kids were so excited and played together so well.  I had just enough purple dresses for all the girls and the boys really liked being the bad guys.  Win win.  I donated the props to the kids' school.  Glad they will get used again.  Happy Birthday Riley!!

January, the final month to catch up on!

Meet Moe.  He's our new addition to the family.

 
 After getting home from Christmas weekend, Brian discovered that a neighborhood dog had gotten in our bunny cage (chewed his way in actually) and killed all four of our beloved bunnies.  In the six months that we had them we never had a problem dogs in our yard and haven't seen one since.  It was just a random thing.  Obviously, the kids were VERY upset when we told them.  About a week later, we got Moe.  He was in need of a home and the kids were in need of a new bunny.  He's inside for now.  Come spring time we'll mend the bunny cage outside and get Moe some friends.  Until then, the kids are thoroughly enjoying having him inside.

Straightened Riley's hair for church.  She liked flitting it around.  She's not the same kid without her curls!

Ella had Immigrant Day at school.  We had fun with it.  She was given the name Aisling Daly.  She was and Irish seamstress from the 1800's.  The 2nd graders were to immigrate to Ellis Island.