Baby Gate FAIL

GAH!  throws up hands.

 

Patrick's Birthday Party Round-up: Part Two

After a brief interlude (also known as a Saturday filled with soccer and a friend's birthday party), we were ready for Round 2.  We hosted our families for a Mario birthday BBQ.  Kevin has been on his game with the hamburgers lately (seriously, ask for an invite.  These things are yum.  12 adults ate over 4 lbs of these things!).  I made homemade potato chips, watermelon and salad.  Easy!

I have 6 nieces and nephews so this is sort of like throwing a full-blown party so we must play a game!  Tip Junkie had these super cute and fun Mario Bingo printables.  I printed the cards on card stock and had them laminated.  I had a sneaky suspicion that my boys would enjoy playing Bingo and I wanted the cards to last.  The markers I punched out with one of my scrapbooking punchers.  Totally easy and guess what?  My boys played several times in the weeks leading up to the party.  We also had fun identifying and naming the characters.
 

I bought tons of little prizes at Michael's.   All of the kids won at least once.  In Keith's case, he knew exactly which prize he wanted and took off once he had his disgusting fake teeth.

 

So the only thing left is the cake.  I won't say anything about how much the custom cakes cost because they are beautiful and yummy and straight.  I will just say that this is the first year that I made Patrick a birthday cake from scratch.  He wanted red velvet and I wanted to make him something that would put a big smile on his face before he even took a bite.  

So the Question Block Cake was born.  Let me know if you find a how-to somewhere out there in blogland.  Kevin and I winged it.  I knew that I could cover the cake with fondant and it would be perfect and smooth.  I also knew that I had never worked with fondant before and a huge cake like this would need a lot of fondant.  So I opted for the compromise: frosting with fondant accents.

I baked four layers of Bakerella's (cake pops ya know) fantastic red velvet cake.  I borrowed my sister's square pans and they worked perfectly.  I probably could have tripled the recipe.  I also made the cream cheese frosting and tinted it with Wilton icing color (golden yellow seemed a little orange to me...).  In the end, I had about 4 inches of cake, 2 inches of frosting between the layers and an improvised bottom half.

 Here she is just after I frosted it.  I bought an angled spatula this makes a huge difference.  Luckily Kevin was helping me and thought to put the cake in the freezer.  This saved it from melting.  The cream cheese frosting is very melty.

 Here's the block before the question mark. 

 Figures make a repeat appearance.

 Look at that!  Kevin cut out the question marks from fondant and glued them on the frozen cake with some frosting.

 Patrick loved it.

 Can you tell?

 I also added the 7-UP candles.  Only a 7 year old gamer would get it and I love it that way!

Patrick's Birthday Party Round-up: Part One

Phew!  Three days of cake and parties.... I'm fat and tired (One party was for our friend, but still.)  I will attempt to give you the link-ups to my resources and everything.  Here it goes!

Day One: Friday.  Birthday Day.

He started his day with pancakes and presents.  Then it was off to school.

He ordered Panda Express for lunch.  It is always fun to have your whole family at school for lunch.

We brought a few dozen dirt cupcakes (and worms) for his class... and a few extra for his buddies who aren't in his class.

Before we knew it, the day was over and it was time for the party with 12 of his best buddies.  Patrick has known for a year that he wanted a Mario Brothers party.  It was a fun theme.  And since I've played my fair share of Mario Bros (N-64!), I know what I know. My original plan was to have a party at home and book the Game n Go trailer.  Patrick decided that he wanted to go to the arcade with his friends instead.  So we did!  Me-N-Eds Coney Island Grill has a fun arcade room and decent size party rooms.  Patrick and his friends had a blast playing arcade games, eating pizza and being 2nd graders.

And yes, Patrick invited girls.  Quite a few girls in fact.

The local party store didn't have Mario Party gear so I ordered the plates and napkins from Celebrate Express.  I signed up for emails (because I don't get enough!) and there was a email coupon for 10% off. 

So all that was pretty easy.... Then I had to tackle the cake.  Here's my honest opinion, $3.50 per cupcake is expensive for 7 year old kids who are going to eat the frosting and throw away the cake.  So I decided that I would find another solution.  I knew that I didn't have time to make the cupcakes, but I wanted Mario cupcakes... I found a couple of sites and blogs with mushroom cupcakes.  Perfect!  I ordered two dozen Red, Green and Blue cupcakes from Von's and we went to work.

The circles are fondant.  Perfectly cut with a round cutter.  We smoothed the icing before we put the fondant on the cupcakes.  We?  Oh yes, that's my hubby and me.

I ordered the little figures on Amazon.  Those were a hot commodity.  All of the kids wanted one, I told them that they were mine!  Actually, I was planning on using them for the next cake, more on that later.

Patrick's special cupcake.  I hastily made the Power Up Star at the last minute.  I'm a pro with the toothpicks.

Then it was gifts galore and time to go!

I got the water bottles from Celebrate Express too.  I put a Mario pen and Mario gummy snacks in each bottle and tied a custom made favor tag. These were cute but if I had to do it over again I would consider ordering several sets of the Mario figurines and letting everyone take one home.

Done!  Best party ever, in Patrick's opinion.

To Patrick on your seventh birthday

Photo Credit: Tawnya Hood Beauty of Life Photography

Dear Patrick,
Seven years ago today, we were anxiously awaiting your arrival.  And now the day has finally arrived, you are seven.  There aren't many things more exciting than your 7th birthday!  Or so I've been told....

I want you to know that I am so proud of you and everything that you have accomplished in your seven years.  Did you know that you read more than 3,000 pages of books this summer?  Did you know that you are the best big brother that I have ever met?  Did you know that you write some of the best stories that I have ever read?  Did you know that you are funny and tell great jokes?  Did you know that you are turning into an awesome swimmer?  Did you know that you are courageous and fierce?

I love you.  I love the person you are and the person you are becoming.  One of my favorite NEW things about you is "Encyclopedia Patrick."  All of your reading has resulted in the ability to provide us with on-going information.    "Mom, did you know that spiders aren't insects?"  Love it!  Love you.

Happy birthday big boy!  You are in a class of your own.  You are my absent-minded professor with a caring heart.  God blessed me immensely when he placed you in my arms. 

Love,
Mama
LET THE COUNTDOWN TO EIGHT BEGIN!

Photo Credit: Tawnya Hood Beauty of Life Photography

First Days of School

Both boys successfully completed their first days of school.  Both boys described their new teachers as "nice."  Both boys are trying to sneak Legos, late movies and other summer activities into the school schedule.  Both boys made new friends on their first days.  Both boys forgot their new friends' names. Lauren misses her boys.

Monday: Patrick's First Day of Second Grade

All ready to go!

Mrs. Boris and Patrick: So lucky to have a familiar face!

Ready to Learn!

 Keith's First Day of "Big Kid Preschool"

I've got this Mom.  No big deal.

 And.... I didn't even cry.

10 Months Old

Our little baby is starting her countdown to 1!  Ten months old today.  And look!  She's actually wearing clothes.

She has changed so much. Here's the run down.

She's climbing (YAY, not)
She waves hello and goodbye
She slept through the night two nights in a row (tonight she won't because I just mentioned it to you)
She stands up on her own
She loves her baby dolls
She weighs 21 lbs and is 28 inches long
She started discriminating when she's eating (that usually means dropping things on the floor or spitting food out)
She gives kisses and hugs
She's walking

 

No, she's been pushing her stroller around for a couple of months.  I mean really walking!

 

As of today we have a walker.  She's still perfecting her gait but she is definitely walking. 

I love this girl!  Her little personality is emerging full force.  She is such a love and so hilarious.  GO LoLo!!!

Dear Mary Poppins,

Really?  Just a spoonful of sugar? Hmmm....I don't think so. My kids ain't buying what I'm selling these days.  If only a spoonful of sugar would help this situation. 
I've tried sugar, I've tried everything.  Today I sent them to bed at 6:35 pm. 

As a Mommy there are days that fly by (those usually include playdates, movies, and Dad) and you love life! Then there are days that fly by with a flurry of activity but you are left with the sense that all you accomplished was moving the messes from place to place and screaming at your children.  Today I didn't get to see any of my friends, my meager 28 minutes with my husband was the highlight, I went to the eye doctor with all three kids during dinnertime and I had papers to grade.  My boys got into a fight that could only be described as a girlie fight.  They didn't throw punches, instead they attempted to hurt their brother's feelings.  "You aren't my best buddy and I'm not playing with you" was caught in the repeat mode all day.  My kids don't bicker very often but sheesh!  Shut it already. 

This wasn't how I saw the end of summer.... ok, I don't know how I saw it but I'm pretty sure if I had thought about it, this isn't what I was thinking.  So here I am, papers graded, coffee consumed, guilt warmed up, husband asleep.....  All I have to offer you is a random sampling of this week.  Oh!  and a promise to update you on Miss Lauren in a couple of days!  Wait until you hear....  Anyway, in the meantime, check this out.

 Once upon a time I took a nap.  Not one but two annoying people knocked on the door and rang the bell.  Kevin was so irritated he put up a post-it note forbidding anyone from soliciting, ringing the bell or knocking on the door. 

 I took it to the next level. This awesome bit was compliments of AnythingbutPerfect.com 
I might try one of the other colors.  I don't think this one looks right with my door.  But I do love it.

 And then there's Keith.... Once upon a time, I made my kid run and he face planted in the grass.  Yep. Those are skid marks on his nose.  Forehead too.  Never mind the PB&J on his face.    He didn't cry at all.  Gotta love him.

And I didn't get a picture but Patrick started soccer!  He's the one with the red socks.