Pinkalicious

I decided to take L on  birthday date to see the musical, Pinkalicious.  It was all things PINK, which we didn't mind -- especially the pink cupcake we got while enjoying the show.  It was fun to do something with just the two of us -- I think more girl-outings are in order.

Getting Pinkalicious' autograph

I was going for a cute mommy-daughter shot, but this was what I had to work with.

Turning 7

Having a birthday in January stinks. I can speak from experience, since mine was always right after Christmas break. It's cold outside so you have to come up with something small to do indoors. Everyone has just finished the holidays are are kind of ready to move past the gifts and festivities (especially if your mom, grandma, and brother all have January birthdays as well). 

Poor L has not had many parties, so this year we did things right. She invited a bunch of friends and we had an indoor soccer party. Q was a bit curious to see how you have a soccer party with 10 kids inside a small rental home, but it was great. And I was happy that L finally got the soccer party she's been asking to have for over a year.

We had some soccer crafts, got creative with a couple of soccer-themed games, kicked around a soccer pinata, opened some gifts, and had a ball.

I'd show some of the decorations, but most of them I couldn't edit her name out. I had fun working on my craftiness skills with fondant, and a freezer-paper shirt (seriously my favorite part of the whole party preparations - I smudged out her name above and on the cake).

It will be great to have a party that isn't a hodge-podge of whatever I can make or find or get for cheap, but the birthday girl had a great time and I guess that's what it's all about.  

And the most amazing part of the day was that Little G slept from an 1 1/2 before the party to a 1/2 hr before it was over!  I had time to set up, the crafts and presents were done without 2yr old hands all over, and he still got to be a part of the cake and pinata.  Fabulous.

He was really into the party -- I think he got soccer player and Kung Fu Master confused though.

It was fun to see that almost all of her gifts were writing, coloring, or crafting based.  Her friends and family know her well. This child never ceases to amaze me with her creations. 

She told me that 7 is going to be a pretty good year since seven year olds help out around the house and mind really well and are usually happy. Awesome. I'm looking forward to this year as well.

Little G turns 2

How can you have 3 kids and still forget how crazy a 2 year old is?!  This guy is a hilarious handful.  One minute he'll have me laughing and the next on my knees wiping up milk from every room in the house that he sprinkled lovingly all over with his non-spill sippy.  He has so much to tell us these days and works hard to use phrases he's heard from his siblings in his daily conversations.

On his birthday, I took him to a little gym near our house that gives one-day trial passes.  Perfect.  He was loving it.  All of the other kids were a bit shy and bewildered by it all, but he was not about to let an opportunity be missed (how did he know it was his one shot to enjoy this ridiculously expensive place?)

He still loves his pjs and will ask to get in his crib to cuddle them whenever he's feeling a little blue (the pirate pjs are his favorite, but he'll take whatever is in the crib -- or all 10 of them is his preference)

He is huge into cars, carrying as many toys around as possible, exploring and getting into EVERYTHING, playing games (Uno Moo and the Angry Birds board game are among his favorites), reading and snuggling ("Rock me, mommy!"), playing Grandma (dollhouse) and superheroes, and really anything his older siblings are playing, doing, singing, creating.

And here are some videos of him just because they make me smile.