Parents' Night In

The weekend before Christmas we got together with a few of our very favorite people...without any kids... and we pulled out the fine china... and we dressed up... and we ate fancy food... and we took silly pictures... and we had deep, adult conversations... and lots of laughter... and made great memories with people that we love and friendships we cherish.

 

 

The guys wanted to wear ugly sweaters!

 

 

 

 

Roasted asparagus and shrimp and grits on our china that has only been used one other time in eleven years!

 

Chocolate caramel trifle

Christmas ParTAY

The Tuesday before Christmas was the boys' last day of school and both Christmas parties.  Emersyn and I got to attend both and the day was quite exciting.
Our first stop was was Parker's party and it was kicking....not really there was lots of no Christmas music, lots of no laughing, lots of no celebrating.  The entire party consisted of 10 two and three year olds sitting in their seat at the table decorating a sugar cookie.  I'm sure that alone was a Christmas miracle, but I was hoping for a bit more excitement for the sake of the children.  It felt like that party alone stole my Christmas joy! 

That is how I felt too buddy.

Our final stop was Braden's school and it was the  COMPLETE opposite of Parker's party.  Music was blaring, the kids were dancing and there were 22 kids and at least that many parents if not more crammed into a classroom that was at least 118degrees with ZERO airflow.  I wheeled my gigantic limo stroller into the classroom and was finally able to navigate through the masses of excited and sugared up kindergartners to what I hoped would be a quiet corner of the classroom.  Parker was super excited to see his best bud Jack at Braden's party since his brother Ty is in Braden's class.  I guess Jack and Parker needed to get rid of all of the excess energy that they built up at their exciting boring party so they decided it would be a good time to challenge each other to see who could jump the farthest off the classroom chairs.

 

The Reindeer Dance

This is when the fun really started....  All of the kids made a plate filled with tons of Christmas goodies and proceeded to sit on the floor with their plate.  Parker and Jack, oblivious to the fact that people are eating on the floor are making their way back and forth between my corner of the room and Jack's parents.  All the while there is an old grandma and every time the boys' get close to a plate she sucks her breath in really sharp and makes an exagerated sigh.  I am fighting the intense urge to punch her in the gut and knock the breath out of her when Parker steps on some kids' cupcake and tracks green icing across the floor.  Awesome.  At this point old granny is close to having a heart attack, several parents are chuckling and Emersyn is getting antsy to exit the the limo stroller.  I am getting antsy to exit the party.  I abandon E to get a wet paper towel to clean up the carpet and the bottom of Parker's shoe.  When I finally get the mess cleaned and Emersyn out of the stroller, Parker looks at me and says, "I gotta poop mom".  Which actually meant I am pooping mom.  The stench was already permeating the 118dgree classroom with zero airflow.  At this point I put Emersyn back in the stroller.  Screaming.  I ask Braden if he wants to leave the party early or ride the bus home.  He opted for the bus ride since he hadn't gotten his class present yet.  I got my little stinker gathered up and buckled into the limo stroller and explained to Braden's teacher that we were leaving early.  She tried to convince us to stay and I tried very politely to tell her that the faster we exited this classroom the better it would be for all involved.  She finally caught on and I had to weave the limo stroller between a gazillion dancing, eating, screaming children and gazillion plates filled with cupcakes with green icing scattered all over the floor.  By the time I left the classroom I was sweating bullets and so ready to get home. 

Parker and his buddy, Jack.

All in all it was a good day, since my boys had fun.  And I learned a couple of things to help me prepare better before the EOY party.  1.  Take Parker to playground to get out the pent up energy from his boring party before we make our way to Braden's party.  2.  Leave the limo stroller at home and instead go with an umbrella stroller.  3.  Don't sit by the old granny that makes me think evil thoughts about the elderly.  4.  Make sure Parker has a  BM before going to a party. 

Halloween 2012

It seems like I am always delayed in posting this time of year!  'Tis the season I guess! 

This Halloween, we did our usual- family(with the exception of my Granny and Grandpa Bill and Shane, Staci, the boys and Skylar who were all sick), chili and hot dogs, but instead of a hayride through our neighborhood (which is a ghost town on Halloween...I mean people literally turned their porch lights out on us last year and one man closed the blinds on us...rude) we went to Parker's preschool for trunk or treat. They had a HUGE blow up slide which Braden and Cohen loved, Parker wouldn't commit to riding (he refused to take his shoes off and then kept sneaking up behind the man who was helping the kids on the slide) and Emersyn and Hunter enjoyed watching.

The veterinarian, elephant, and watermelon!

 

Braden and his sweet pre-k teacher, Ms Cindy

 

Sweet 1st Birthday Party

This weekend we celebrated Emersyn's 1st birthday with tons of family and friends.  Several people asked me prior to the party what my theme was and to be totally honest I didn't have a theme- which is odd for me.  It wasn't until Saturday afternoon, a few hours before the party, when Brad, Braden and Parker were at Braden's soccer game and Emy was napping that I figured out that the theme was 'Sweet':  Homemade ice cream with a table full of sweet candies, sweet and delicious strawberry cupcakes and the sweetest little one year old girl I know. 

A super sweet table for a super sweet girl!

ice cream toppings

 

 

the rock candy was a hit with the kids

We started the party with the first year slide show that I make for all of our babies and then we opened gifts.  Emersyn was showered with so many wonderful gifts- clothes, toys, books, and a new backpack for the big girl to replace her diaper bag!

Finally it was time for the smash cake and Palpaw's homemade ice cream (strawberry and vanilla)!  It was a sweet ending to a sweet party to celebrate a sweet girl!  (See, I found my theme!)

The crew is cheering her on!

 

My wonderful friend, Lori, took these amazing pictures!  Here are a few of my favorites...

I made her shirt and I am totally proud of it!

Boys, Buttons, and Burlap

A few weeks ago I had the honor of throwing a baby shower for two of my very favorite ladies in the world, my sister in law, Erica, and my cousin, Megan. They are both expecting a precious little bundle of BOY!

Onesie making table

I am totally bummed that I didn't get a good picture of the cupcakes. They were vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla bean icing with baby blue and light brown buttons on top. They were delicious!