picnic & plants.

Making the littles happy is so easy at times.

1.  PB&J picnic in the garden.

2.  Plants to put in the ground.

I hope they always find great joy in the small things.  

coloring easter eggs {2011.}

We colored Easter Eggs today.

Miles was in charge of the color BLUE only.

His terms, not mine.

Four, going on fourteen?

The waiting was so hard though.

The waiting also got messy.  

Because little sister just couldn't keep her hands out of the colors.  And because, when given the opportunity to place an egg in the dye, she threw it.

She's such a hoot.

We played peek-a-boo to keep her mind off the egg dye for a minute.

And Miles rolled his blue eggs around a million times.

Oh my, they're getting big.

"That was a fun thing to do for Easter, Mom". - M

FOUR birthday party {part 3.}

First of all, Happy Birthday to my Britton!  The big 32.  A Pioneer Woman chocolate sheet cake awaits you, my love.

Speaking of birthdays...


On the morning of his birthday, Miles gets pancakes with candles and sprinkles.

 

We sing the little birthday diddy.

 

He blows out his candles and chows.

 

So does little sister.  

Have you ever tried to explain to an almost two year old that she doesn't get sprinkles because it's not her birthday?  

 

Me either.

 

WARNING: Don't turn your back on the overly-excited-finally-four-year-old or he'll dump out ALL the sprinkles in his birthday stupor. 

He also got to open a couple of exciting little presents from his folks.

 

How exciting it must be to get the two trains that you've told EVERYONE about since Christmas day, when you saw them on the little insert that came with the trains you had been asking for since your last birthday, when you saw them on the little insert that came with the trains from that day.   This is a super vicious cycle as you can see.  Those folks at Thomas the Tank Engine & Co. really know what they're doing.

FOUR birthday party {part 2.}

Party Stories

The weather was beautiful.  The day before, the wind blew 35 mph.  The day after, 30 mph.  But just a slight breeze during the party.  Which was an answered prayer because the big, blue train wouldn't have made it otherwise.  And since we planned to have the party outside, nice weather was a must.  

 

The food was gooo-oood.  My mom made delicious sides to go with the Angus Beef, Nitrate Free hot dogs I made no less than 10 trips to Homeland to purchase.   My apparent neurosis kicked in and I was determined to feed everyone high quality hot dogs (I had just read up on how bad nitrates are for us....great timing on that).  Luckily, a friend pointed me to a $1 off coupon online.  I printed the coupon from every printer I could find (because there was a printing limit) and went to the two different Homeland grocery stores every time I was in town the week of the party.  The coupon, doubled at Homeland,  made the good hot dogs as cheap or cheaper than the junky ones.  If you came to this party, rest assured you were fed the best darn hot dogs I could find for you.  And that my husband thought I had lost my mind in this endeavor.  And that he's probably right.  

The kids were so cute in their train cars.  I collected enough boxes and supplies for each kiddo to make their own train car.  I saw the idea online HERE.  They raced across the field and it was hilariously cute.

How ever much time I planned to make the cupcakes and cookies, I should have tripled it.  I made two different batches of cupcakes.  The Hershey's recipe I've always used, and the Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake recipe poured into muffin cups.  For the record, PDub wins.  

I also made these train cookies and though they look pretty simplistic, my hand was cramping by the end of it and crippled up for the next two days.  Who knew icing cookies was such grueling work?  Buddy would never hire me to work in his bakery.  

Miles was soooooo excited to be four.  He's been telling people who ask that he's four since before Christmas.  He's lived for this day.  And by the evening of his birthday he was talking about his "number 5 birthday party".  

Little sister soaked up every little thing.  

And also walked around the party stealing everyone's drink. 

People don't just bring one present anymore.  Every sack and box was FULL of happy little toys and gifts for Miles.  Not just one thing....SEVERAL things.  My father-in-law claims that Miles got more toys for this birthday than he got his whole childhood.  I just may believe him.  I'm so blessed to have family and friends who love my boy and love to shower him with things that make him smile.  Do you know about the amount of Thomas products that are in the stores?  They're in my house now.  

The party favors were tomato plants.  I just love this little detail.  I worried it was going to be a bust.  But Miles liked the idea and we wanted to share his love for gardening with his friends and cousins.  So each child got a tomato plant as party favor.  It was a HIT!

The kids destroyed the train with tools.  Miles's stash of plastic tools from his work bench came in handy when it came time to demolish the train.  

"This is the best birthday party ever"! - Miles

I think it was too.  

:: Link to four birthday party {part 1.} ::