Bronson's Birthday Party Recap!

We had Bronson's 4th birthday party yesterday! I have been working on this party for about two months, and I am glad it is done. Here are about a million pictures for those who couldn't make it. It was (obviously) a dinosaur party. I was really nervous about this cake. I have VERY limited fondant experience, and Bronson wanted a 'long neck' on top of it. All in all I think it turned out pretty good.

Those white things in the background are creme puffs dipped in white almond bark. They were supposed to look like dinosaur eggs. They totally didn't. But they did taste good.I have blogged about the dino cupcakes before. I had instructions for the t-rex and stegosaurus. But the triceratops was all me. I thought they turned out okay.Okay, these are supposed to be volcanoes. Just hershey kisses with some red candy melts piped on them.Bronson took ALL of his dinosaurs out of his room and 'decorated' our living room. He was very proud of himself.

We had a dino egg hunt. I wrote each kids' name on 6 eggs and they had to find their own. It was fun, and it made the game a little more challenging.

Bronson was being kind of a grump- so we took a sad picture-even sad he is a keeper!

Another activity we did was a dino dig. I put some small dinosaurs in the sand and they dug around for them. This game didn't take long at all. More sand and bigger digging area would have helped. Still, the kids really enjoyed digging around in the sand.

Happy Birthday Bronson! We love you!

Party Prep

Well, Bronson's 4th birthday is just around the corner and we are in full party prep mode around here. Well, that isn't quite true. I am the one doing all the prep. But that is okay, that is how I like it. I really enjoy all that goes into having a party. This party I decided to only do games that everyone can do at the same time. In the past we have done things like pinatas and cake walks and such, I didn't want to do that this time. I don't want to be trying to keep track of who has had a turn and try to keep the others entertained while they wait for their turn. This time we are doing three activities. A dino egg hunt, digging for fossils, and a sticker game. I love brainstorming ideas and bouncing them off everyone I come across. It is such a creative outlet for me. Do you wanna sneak peek? I bought a party pack on Etsy here. This seller has so many amazing packages, and you print it all yourself. I made A TON of this party garland. I printed some paper from the party pack and punched about a million circles and then sewed them together on my sewing machine. I am so happy with how it turned out. I can't wait to hang it up and play around with it. It was so easy and cheap. These are something I am going to have to make again, I can just tell. These are going to be a must for all my parties in the future.

Something I love to do is go to DI and play with plates, glasses, candlesticks, etc. Then I take them home, E6000 them and paint them to match my party!

I was originally going to make a dinosaur mask for each of the kids to wear, but WOW, way too much effort for each mask. I found myself DREADING working on them and not enjoying it at all. I just can't function creatively that way. So my boys will just get to use the ones I did make for play.

Movie Night

A few weeks ago we had some friends over to watch "How to Train Your Dragon". Of course, I can't just keep it simple. Oh no. Not me!

We went all out-and for nearly no money! I printed play money and tickets off the computer- even laminated the money so we could use it again (side note: I have a small at-home laminator - I didn't go to Office Max or something and get the money laminated - now that would be crazy!) I also made the signs that we hung up and the invitations we used. One of Steve's jobs is at a movie theater and he talked to his boss and was able to bring home the popcorn, popcorn boxes, cups, and lids. We spent about 15 or 20 dollars on candy and drinks.

It was SO fun! The boys loved helping with every part. They stood at the door and had people 'pay' them for tickets, then sent the over to the concessions stand and then ran over and helped there too.

Usually when I throw a party I am so stressed the whole time trying to make sure everything goes smoothly, but not this time. I was able to sit and just enjoy. It was a great time, and the boys are still talking about it. We are going to have to do this again, SOON!!

(also notice the "dragons" on our entertainment center - we only have a few actual dragons, so we cut out wings out of foam and taped them on!)

Chicken Boy

Tonight after the boys were in bed I went to check on Logan. I found him sitting up, facing the wall, and surrounded by a pile of blankets. I didn't say anything, just gave him a funny look. He looks at me, completely serious, and says "What?! I just wanted to try and sleep like a chicken."

Ummm, okay. Whatever makes you happy.

Crazy kid.

the future?

Steve takes the NCLEX on the 8th, then we have to wait a week or two for the results, after that the great job hunt of 2011 begins! (providing that he passes, of course) I am having a hard time with this in-between time. I hate not knowing what to expect. We are hoping to stay where we are, but that is unlikely. We will probably end up out of state, even further from our extended families. I hate that we will likely be pulling Logan out of school and throwing him in somewhere else. He is a shy kid who doesn't do well with new people-though he is improving. I hate that we will be leaving a place that is just starting to feel like home. At the same time I look forward to a more secure future, with Steve able to have a real job.

my attempt at dinosaur cupcakes

My boys have both already informed me that they want to have dinosaur birthday parties this year. As I was looking for some fun ideas I stumbled upon these adorable cupcakes. Today the boys and I had a practice session. One thing I learned: when it comes time to make these for the parties I will ONLY be making the stegosaurus. The t-rex's were a big pain and then the heads were too heavy and made the whole dino squish down--they all ended up looking squatty. As you can tell from the photos, it took me a few tries before I settled on a size that was most appropriate. But I think I got the hang of it. If you look in the background you can see the boys' "creations". They had a great time, Logan actually tried to make dinosaurs, Bronson just made whatever he felt like. They loved every second of it. I asked Logan if he thought we should do this again sometime and he laughed and me and said that I shouldn't ask him questions that I already know the answer to!

Our first snowman!

These were actually taken a few weeks ago, but I forgot to post them.