Happy Birthday to Mommy

Carlos helped the boys make the cake for my birthday.  They baked it on Tuesday night and I helped them make the frosting.  They made a carrot cake so I did cream cheese frosting.  They wanted to color it and we let them choose.  They chose purple and black!  It was pretty late so we said we’d decorate it in the morning.

I had told Carlos that I wanted to sleep for my B-day but I woke up at 6:15 and was wide awake!  I finally got up and folded some laundry and blogged.  At 8:00, the kids were still asleep (wow) and I was tired so I went back to bed. They let me sleep until 9:30.  Not that I really slept that well but it was nice to know I could!  I could hear them talking a lot about the cake which they were decorating at that point.

When I got up, Jaiden came and sang happy birthday in the sweetest voice.  It was so cute!  Austin told me happy birthday too and Zach was just cute.  They gave me some cards and then we did the cake.  So we had cake and milk for breakfast!  Hey, it was my birthday!

This is the cute, cute cake that they made:  

They had baked it in a 9 x 13 pan but then Jaiden wanted a circle cake because “mommy always makes circle cakes”, but when they tried to get it out of the pan, a lot of it crumbled.  Carlos said it was decorated 98% by them.  I did have to correct the numbers (am I really admitting this?!?!) because they originally had a number 3 and a regular candle to make 31.  Sadly, I had to tell them I was actually 32! 

It was so much fun and they were so cute singing happy birthday over and over.  Jaiden even sang it in Spanish for me!

Carlos had to work but the boys and I finished the day with a Peanut Butter Cup Perfection ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl from Cold Stone.  So yummy!

Don’t Play with Matches

This is what we found the other day when I went to check on the boys, who were playing with their friend in the backyard.  We had been cleaning the garage.  I went out and they were by the corn so I thought they were getting into it…Jaiden went running as soon as he heard me and I saw the box of matches in his hand, then found unlit ones in the grass and in the sandbox.  This is where they put all of the ones they had lit.  We’re still not sure as to how they knew how to strike a match but some more information has come out since then….we’ll see.  Talking with others, we’ve come to the conclusion that it must be a boy thing and that they are all basically pyros!

Needless to say, all of the boys got a good talking to.  I did have to sneak in a picture though…

Family Reunion, Part 1

This was our nice little spot, it was just perfect!  We could even hear the stream “gurgle” at night. 

So here’s a summary by child:

Zachary

He wheeled around camp, threw rocks in the lake, colored on plates, got into the hula-hoop action, LOVED the canoe ride, and wasn’t quite awake at breakfast!

   

 

Austin

He waded in the lake, rode his Plasma Car (aka “Scooter”), ran around, did silly poses for pictures, tore bugs apart and had a good time!

 

Jaiden

He rode his “scooter” and bike, helped put the fire out (more on that to come….), threw lots of rocks in the lake, got to go on two canoe rides, waded in the lake, won a cement truck in the sack race, got really dirty (not as dirty as this camp memory), and made friends with Josh and others and played the whole time, including making these logs into a see-saw.  I guess he was really friendly around the campfire too and would just go up and sit on peoples laps….that’s what I’ve been told anyway!   

More to come in a future post, but this is long enough for now!

The big {5}!

Our Jaiden turned 5 this month!  We aren’t into big birthday parties every year but decided that for his 5th year, he could have a party.  He was so excited and wanted Star Wars.  So, we got the stuff and invited cousins and some neighborhood friends.  Grandma came out too.  There were 2o kids including ours!  Carlos works with a guy who gave us a great deal on a jump house so we got that and between the sandbox and the jumping, I think the kids were pretty entertained most of the time….  I was exhausted after it was over!  Thanks everyone who came!  It was lots of fun!

 

Here are some highlights…

        

We had started with a Darth Vader pinata but when I saw the receipt a week later (I wasn’t paying attention when Carlos was paying…), I took it back and told them that I thought it was ridiculous to pay that much for something that was going to be smashed apart.  Because it was a licensed product, it cost over twice what the other did.  So we were able to convince Jaiden that we were going to find a much better one and he was thrilled with the dinosaur he picked out.  Call me ornery, call me cheap, but I maintain my opinion!  I’m glad he was happy with what he got!

The wind was blowing too hard to light the candles so he just pretended!

Don’t look too closely at the cake, it was a finished at 2:30 am, fondant didn’t want to cooperate, I really need to practice more, cake.  But I was pleased that the layers worked, it’s the first time I’ve done more than one tier!    

 

Jaiden also got his first bike for his birthday!  He’s done really well riding it and he even has a bell for it.  He’s such a cutie!  He’s so smart and loves to “talk to me” and help out with washing dishes and making things.  He’s a great big brother and takes extra care of Zach.  We are so proud of him and the great kid he is! 

   

We love you Jaiden!

Zach’s Birthday

No matter that I-somewhat rebelliously- went to see the late viewing of Letters to Juliet all on my own, and then stopped by Macey’s for the needed milk, eggs and bread (I’ve determined they are the most purchased items at that time of night, based on the items in the possession of fellow late shoppers), I said I would post about Zach's birthday and post I must.

When I went to get him out of bed, I started singing “Happy Birthday” and he was all smiles.  It didn’t take him long to figure out that this day was all about him!  He was so cute anytime we would sing or talk to him about it.  This is mister smiley first thing in the morning…

He is playing with his brothers more and more and here they are making a fort on his birthday… 

I just guessed on what kind of cake to make and I really need to start preparing ahead of time and not doing these things so last minute so that they don’t look like these psycho-beaked, weird-eyes, droopy-frosting freaky ducks.  And he was a little disturbed by them too at first.  He did his little eye-flutter, shuddery thing that he does when he’s afraid of something.  Anyways, this was his cake… AAAHH!  It’s the attack of the psycho ducks!

As you can see, he really wasn’t convinced by them.  I wonder why?

 

He did warm up to them in the end…(sorry it’s blurry)Opening presents…

is always fun…….…!

Zachy is becoming very talkative and most of the words he puts together are in the form of demands like, go outside, quiere agua, no don’t, no diaper and lots of other fun ones.  He gives the tightest hugs and the sweetest kisses.  He now has to give Jaiden and Austin kisses before he goes to bed and when he’s hurt one of them, his way of saying sorry is rubbing and patting their back and saying “shhhh, shhhh…” 

It’s fun to see his personality develop and we love having him in our family.  His brothers are usually so good with him and protective of him and, as Austin says, “Mommy, Zachy LUVS me!”  We LOVE you too Zachy!