With a Grain of Salt

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Angry Birds Party

My boys have become OBSESSED with the game Angry Birds, so Isaac decided to have an Angry Birds party for his 6th birthday. As soon as he mentioned that, I scoured the internet for ideas. I was surprised at how many great ideas there were, from the easy do-it-yourself, to the gigantic extravagant buy-it-all method. I went for the do-it-yourself. Starting with the invites.

For the invites, I made Yellow Zoom birds, pretty easy, mostly geometric shapes that I cut out with my Slice. We added googlie eyes and hand cut the feather for the top. I pasted the invite on the back, and it read:

The Evil

Pig Army has

stolen 6 Golden Eggs,

And Isaac is ANGRY!

Come join our forces!

At Our House On

Friday August 26^th from 3-5

wear: Red, blue, black or yellow

so we will know you are on our side!

Please Report to: #

We will not be defeated !!

I love this picture, it's Isaac with his best bud Camden and Camden's little bro, and they are all making their best Angry Birds faces :) I took one of them just together, and then they made me take one with their Angry faces :0)

I was stoked once we had the adorable invites complete, but we didn't stop there. I also made a King Pig pinata, and a small army of Angry Birds. I had my own little army help with some of the decorations.

This year, Isaac's bday was just 3 days after school started. We invited a few friends from church, and then he tried his hardest to make some new friends in class. He made one good friend, so we chased him and his parents all the way to the car, to deliver the invite, to the party that would be starting in 2 hours! His friend's parents were really sweet, and we look forward to playdates, but he was unable to come.

We invited another friend the morning of the party, and he was able to make it. After he told me that I hadn't made the Zoom Birds for the invitation correctly. Yes, OBSESSED!

The first activity, while we waited for the others to arrive, was coloring our goodie bags. Some of the kids were quite dilligent about getting everything just right and doing their very best coloring jobs. Others were just anxious to get the festivities rolling!

After the goodie bags, we had a golden egg search. I just dug out all the yellow Easter eggs I could find. Since we kept the party quite small, the kids each got about 4-5 eggs.

Then, I attempted snacks. I had bowls set out with blueberries, strawberries and banannas, for each of the featured Angry Birds. Then, a last minute idea (brilliant you could say), was to fill sandwhich bags with popcorn, tie them off and tape the white bird faces. They turned out pretty cute and were the biggest hit with the kids. Literally. They decided to throw the popcorn White Birds at the Pigs decorating the back yard. Oh well. I'm trying to let my boys be boys. A big step for me!

After snacks, we played a live Angry Birds game. I had made Pigs and taped them to water bottles. I lined the water bottles up, and then the kids threw water balloons at the Pigs. Originally, they were supposed to slingshot the water balloons, but my sling shot was too small. The kids LOVED it and were pretty good at taking turns. At one point though, I think I may have had a part in this, we all decided that Ben was the KING PIG, and so we started throwing balloons at him. He ended up in the corner of the yard with no ammo, just getting pelted :P The best (worst?) part: he had spent 2 hours that morning filling all those water balloons! Sweet irony.

Then it was time for what we all (me mostly) had been waiting for.... The pinata!! I had been working on it the whole week, painstaking layer by layer, hoping it would dry enough each time. And, I didn't have a back up. I was pretty pleased as I brought it out to oohs and ahhs from the young and old alike :0) I might have fished for these compliments, but the crowd was very willing to indulge me :)

The kids lined up, and it was time to test this thing out. Isaac was the first, and then we went by height. We got about halfway through the line up, and Zane Andrew busted it clean off the rope. It held up to a few dents and cracked in one place, it was actually the rigging that failed first.

After the mad dash for too much sugar, it was time for cake. Yay, more sugar! I'm not known for my baking, so it was cupcakes from a box with icing from a can. But, I did make more Pigs as cup cake toppers. Something was lacking there, but the kids liked them, so I guess we'll count it as another success.

After cupcakes Isaac opened his presents, and then it was time to PLAY!

Oh, one real FAIL, but great idea.... I MADE Angry Birds bouncy balls. I saw that idea somewhere, so highly talented lady had PAINTED Angry Bird faces onto dollar store bouncy balls, and they were a huge hit. Well, that is not really my style, you'll notice I don't deal with paints, or outside the gemetric shapes. So, I found some templates for Angry Birds balloons: http://www.thepartyanimal-blog.org/Downloads/Angry_Birds_Balloon_Templates.pdf

So, I printed those out, and Mod Podged them onto the balls. They looked great, and I set them aside to dry..... accept they never really did. For some reason, they stayed really tacky. But I didn't need 10 bouncy balls, so I gave them to the boys anyway. They played with them and had a blast, even if the balls did pick up the grass and dirt, and look a little "hairy " as one of the boys said. Oh well.

It really was a successful party, and a lot of fun. But after all that work, I think we'll go to HI for the boys birthdays next year :P I can dream, can't I?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Lately

Aaron has been talking for a while. Non-stop. But lately he has had some really funny things to say.

Like "actually". I asked if he wanted something, and he replied "Yes. Actually, no."

Also, he likes to say "serious". Like "It was an accident! Serus!" That's how he says it.

The other day I asked if he loved mommy, he said "I love bofofyou". Yah, it took me a minute... "I love both of you."

We went out to visit Adrian and the family last weekend, and on the way home, Aaron started yelling something about "Compikayden" at me. This one was extra frustrating, because we were in the car going 80 mph, with the dvd player in the way back, it was hard to hear english, let alone Aaron-ese. But I finally figured out he was saying he wanted me to turn the song back to "Complicated". He was asking for the song "You Lie" by The Band Perry. The first line is: It ain't complicated....

I complain that he never STOPS talking, but he also never ceases to amaze me. He is so full of life and spunk and determination. The other day at the pool, he had me throwing him in the air and over my head, and rolling him in the water. My other boys hate getting their faces wet, and he just couldn't get enough of it!!

I'm greatful for each of my boys and that I am able to stay home with them. Life is great.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Too blessed?

I don't have a problem counting my blessings. I know how blessed we are, and am reminded every single day. I have 3 beautiful healthy boys, a wonderful loving husband who is gainfully employed, and an amazing family that is so integral to it all.

The thing is, sometimes I feel guilty. And not just guilty, but anxious. Like things are TOO good, and my world is just going to come crashing down on me any minute.

While on our roadtrip last week, we got a call that Adrian had been in a motorcycle accident. Someone had run a red light and plowed straight into him. He has been in a drug induced coma and on ventilators for the better part of the week. We are so grateful that he was wearing a helmet and that his head and spine have are fine. The whole right side of his body is a different story. He is progressing toward health each day, and I told Nichole that he is strong and doing it all for his family. And I truly believe it.

After we got the news of Adrian's accident, I told Ben that "I just can't worry enough". I was worried about our 3 carloads traveling safely. I was terrified that I was going to have to watch my parents in the Blazer roll over or see Brooke in the truck behind us go off the road. Nonsense worries, but they consumed me none the less.

Then, just this morning, my dad called to tell me that Joy had been laid off. My sweet sister Joy has been through hell and back these last few years. She did her best to make an unhappy marriage work. Even then the jerk decided to go make a baby with someone else and tear their family apart. Joy moved two thousand miles away from the family to make her then husband and his family happy. Now she is stuck there. Alone. My heart breaks for her almost on a daily basis. She does the best she can, and is a much stronger person than I. But she faces more frustration and sadness than I can even comprehend.

I was on the phone with her this morning, trying to help her deal with the layoff. Dad has told her to take a month to herself. To do the things that she doesn't have time for when she is working and being the main caregiver to the girls. I told her that I agreed with dad and that all we want (the whole family) is for her to be happy. We both cried, because we know that she has not truly been happy for a long time. Yes, we enjoyed our vacation together, and she loves her girls, but she deserves true, burning happiness. And she has been denied it for way too long.

I had to go after that, because we were both too overcome by emotions to talk. But things didn't end there, that was when I really started to wonder how Ben and I had been so protected from such heartache... and what is in store for us down the road?

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Seadoos, of course!

What do we do when family comes to town? Seadoos, of course!

Tuesday we packed up and headed down to Mission Bay, and Jillian got to come too!

The cousins had a great time splashing in the water, digging canals, building castles, dumping water on grandma, and going for rides. It was another perfect day. (oh, except that the Seadoo trailer broke on the way down.... but that was the mensfolks problem)

At one point, just before we were leaving, Isaac wanted one last ride. One of the seadoos wasn't working, so Joy, Isaac and I all went together on the one that was left. It worked well, Joy was cautious, and I was an extra set of eyes, it was all good. Then she took us to a little inlet that is protected, where you could do donuts. I didn't even know that was there! We waited for the other 2 jetskis to leave so that we could have the place to ourselves. We did a few donuts, and then hit a wake wrong. Joy stopped, and the Seadoo started to tip to the right. I tried to "high side", but my efforts weren't enough, and we all were dumped.

The key was tethered to Joy's vest, so the Seadoo stopped dead in the water. Joy scooped Isaac up right away, and we all had vests on, so we were fine. Isaac was shaken and looked at me and said "Whoa, I have never done THAT before". I laughed and said, "Neither have I!" He remained cool under pressure though, because he had scooped up Joy's sunglasses from the water before they sank. What a hero!

We talked about the safety precautions that we take, in case something like that happens, and how everything turned out just fine. Then I told him how I had thrown his dad off at least once before :)

Joy let me drive the rest of the way to shore, and I just chuckled the whole time about how funny it was, and how cute Isaac's reaction was.

More Cousins!!

Sighris and Adriana left on Thursday, and our favorite Texans came on Monday. They arrived at about 1130, and my dad brought them straight to my house :) We tried to get the little ones to nap, but it just turned into some adorable photo ops. Roman and Daisy immediately attached at the hips and played with Roman's electrical circuits while the little ones "napped".

Visit from Sighris and Adriana

The boys are getting to the age where they remember and enjoy their cousins. And we just don't get out to AZ enough, so we worked out a week that we could have Sighris and Adriana stay at our house with us. (Martin was welcome to, but I don't quite know how to entertain a teenager, and he probably feared he would get stuck babysitting.)

Nichole dropped them off Sunday morning, and they went to church with us. Then Monday, it was off to the zoo. Me and 5 kids. Brave, I know. They were all really good and I think they all had a good time.

We started at the Reptile House, where Roman and Sighris read all the names and descriptions to the little ones. I even had a lady stop me and say that they were doing a great job reading, and she should know, because she is a teacher :) Yes, I live for those kind of aknowledgements.

Tuesday I think we took it pretty easy. I had Jillian, so that was me against SIX kids, but they really are a good group. The boys played board games and legos, and Jillian was in heaven because Adriana imported her own girl toys :)

Jillian loved Adriana, and didn't want to leave when her mom came, until we promised that Adriana would be there tomorrow.

Wednesday we tackled an art project, stained glass candle holders. The kids had a blast. After the craft, they decided to play outside, it was the best! I fed them lunch prison-style, opening the sliding glass door just wide enough to slide the food through :) They played and played until nap time. And they ALL took naps. Sighris and Adriana had been up until 930 or later each night, chit chatting about missing their mom and dad and all the fun things we were doing.

That night, Ben came home early and we went down to the Doubletree for an evening swim.

We played some pretty intense Monkey in the Middle and my boys practiced floating around with their water wings on. We took showers at the Doubletree, and then it was home for bed.

Thursday we went to the park, but first stopped at mcDonald's. My mom had bought us McDonald's the week before, when our power was out and I didn't have anything for lunch. They totally messed up her order, and said that they were noting that she would be back in the future and they would replace the entire order. Not just the 3 things they messed up.

So, that morning, I loaded up my six kids, and we headed to McDonald's "to talk to the manager and see if we could get some lunch". I felt like I was going there to beg, but the kids didn't pick up on what I had said.

So, I parked in the only spot left not taken up by construction crews or customers, and dragged my traveling circus in to talk to the manager. She went back to look at THE BOOK, and couldn't find my mom's name anywhere. But she said that since I was there and still had my receipt, that she would go ahead and replace the WHOLE order for me.

So the 7 of us had free lunch!

As we were leaving McDonald's with our bags of free lunch, some people remarked that the parade was leaving. Circus, get it right :P

The kids played and played at the park, another beautiful day with great kids. Then, it was time to load everyone back up to meet their grandma for the hand off. Nichole's mom lives in Lake Elsinore, or somewhere north, so she met us half way for the exchange.

I gave the kiddos big old hugs and helped load them up. Those two give the BEST hugs. We waved to them as they drove away, and almost immediately Roman started to cry. He is such a sweet heart, and I know he had a great time with his cousins. When Aaron woke up later, he cried for Adriana and Sighris too.

Hiking Boys

Isaac made one really good friend in school last year. He had other friends, but they all seemed to think that you could only have one friend at a time, and Camden was it for the better part of the year.

As the school year was ending, Camden's mom, Julie, and I talked about our families hiking together.

We finally picked a date and decided to hike around Lake Hodges. The lake is usually more of a forest, with lots of trees and almost no water. But this year we have been blessed with an abundance of rain that has filled the lake and even gotten us out of our drought. I love to see the water levels so high.

Camden's family had done the hike before, but not when the water was so high. And I don't think that they made it the whole way last time.

We met up bright and early to try to beat the sun, the kids all had their camelpaks and smiles on. There wasn't much shade, and we didn't beat the sun, but the kids were great sports. There were 5 boys between us, and it was fun to watch them get excited about birds and animal tracks (dogs). The older boys liked to explain things to the little guys.

We paused underneath the freeway over pass, enjoying the shade, when we noticed hundreds of birds. They were swallows, and as we looked closer, they were flying back and forth bringing food or supplies to their mudnests on the underside of the freeway. I love those opportunities to teach the boys little things about nature.

We finished our short hike at a parking lot across from the North County Fair. It was pretty disappointing, as the only slightly natural thing there was a big old puddle. But then Evan, Camden's little brother, said he saw a fish in the puddle. Yah, yah, whatever. But his dad looked closer, and there were fish, and then he noticed that the "puddle" was overflow from the lake, and it was an entire ecosystem all it's own. We saw giant tadpoles, frogs, tiny fish and crayfish. It was really pretty cool.

I'm thankful for a beautiful world and the opportunity I have to teach my children about all of God's creations.