Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Benjamin turned 3 years old today! It was such a fun experience to celebrate his birthday when he actually understood what was going on. After his three guests left, he said, “Mama, that was a great party!” It made me so happy.

Here are the details…

I hung streamers and balloons last night after the kids were in bed. Decorator I am not, but it turned out good enough to impress a preschooler.

I bought a centerpiece and napkins, but made Man in the Yellow Hat place settings. I also made napkin rings. This is about as crafty as I get!

Benjamin liked his gift, though I think he will be more excited about it a few months from now. It is an easel from Ikea, with markers, chalk and a really big roll of paper.

We let Benjamin watch a lot of TV this a.m. to keep him from getting into everything. So, when the guests arrived, we encouraged a game of running around with balloons. Here is Tyler showing off his static hair.

I asked Claire how she thought being 3 was different than 2. She said, “I think it’s a bit sillier.” I just love her!

I made frozen bananas, rolled in PB&J and Cheerios. They were a huge success…especially since they were on a stick!

We also had “ants on a log” and pizza; all Curious George approved foods.

For dessert, I made banana pudding and banana bread “cupcakes.”

I gave each child a candle in his/her cupcake to make things more fun.

Benjamin kept his mask and hat on the whole party!

Now that Abby is mobile, it was funny to see the kids’ reactions to her antics. While they ignored the other immobile babies, Abby got quite a bit of attention! Here, Tyler gave her a little “nudge” out of his way. I watched in amusement as Abby gave him an adoring grin and kept trying to climb on him!

She also LOVED helping open presents…eating the paper, pulling out all the pieces, etc. Poor Claire was having fits that Abby kept eating the farm animals.

Benjamin was super excited to get a Thomas the Tank Engine board game.

Dominc got Benjamin a puzzle, which I am sure he will love too! Dominic’s mom wasn’t at the party during lunch, and Dominic got his first taste of pizza. He ate the whole thing. I think that is why he is smiling so much in this photo. She said he could eat whatever I served, but didn’t think he would want anything. That boy was super excited about his frozen banana and pizza. I think I corrupted him!

Abby and Leila watched the chaos in awe.

Each child went home with a goodie bag that included a Curious George Birthday book, a Curious George balloon , Curious George stickers, a Curious George (home made) coloring packet and Curious George fruit snacks. I was quite proud of that too.

So, my first theme party was carried out without any issues. Three friends (because he turned 3) was the perfect manageable size. Benjamin and all the kids had a great time.

Tutus make me smile

I love tutus! I tried so hard to get a good shot of Abby in hers for a Christmas card photo. But, she was too interested in the tree and the lights to give me a big Abby smile.

This tutu was a 12-month size, so I didn’t know if it would fit. But, I knew it would make my mom smile. So, we tried it on Abby, and it was a hit!

It has been a tough few weeks for Mom/Nana. She has declined rapidly, and there have been a lot of tears. So, we try to enjoy each moment. We spend a lot of time hanging out in her room, or quietly sitting. Some days are better for her than others.

Because we have been trying to keep things calm, we had Benjamin spend the night at his grandma and grandpa’s house. He had so much fun, and it gave me one-on-one time with my mom.

He was so excited to pack his bag and get undivided attention! I think Grandpa Joe heard, “Read me another book,” a lot.

Abby didn’t stay, but she enjoyed cuddling with Grandma Jan before her nap.

That night, Benjamin said, “Grandma! You made me a square bed (of pillows). Next time, let’s make a triangle!” I thought that was pretty funny. So, next time, I would like to see how they manage a triangle bed.

We would have been up in Findlay again today, but Benjamin came down with a stomach bug Tuesday night. And, I am waiting to see if I catch it too. But, we hope to head up there ASAP. It has been so difficult to be far away, when all I want is to be with my mom and dad. Mike was able to fly up this week, so I am so disappointed I missed him, but grateful he was able to spend that time with her. I know it must be even harder for him living so far away.

I feel so blessed by all the people who have helped us these past few weeks…and months! One of my friends even volunteered to make 30 cucumber sandwiches for me, so that I didn’t have to worry about it for our MOPS tea next week! We have felt and appreciated all the prayers!

See Abby. See Abby run

OK…so she isn’t running yet. But, her little legs and tiny feet would run after Benjamin if they could. I give her a few months, and she will be a toddling accident waiting to happen. We better buy her a helmet now.

Abby is on the move, and there is no stopping her!

It started with her attempts to crawl, beginning at about five months. Then, she mastered that at six months. Now, at 6.5 months, she is beginning to cruise. At this pace, I fear she will be walking at 8 months!

Abby pulls up on EVERYTHING. That means, the train table is now fair game. Look out! She also loves to chase Benjamin around…especially if he has the Nook! I think they may get into a wrestling match over it one of these days.

I was putting away clothes, when I looked up and saw her straining to see the Nook. Benjamin was in there lecturing that she was going to get her head stuck between the rails of his crib if she didn’t back off. Too funny! They adore each other most of the time. I love it!

Thanksgiving party

Prior to Thanksgiving, we decided to have a party at our house with friends. Benjamin was so excited, because our craft for the party involved lots of paint!

We made special Christmas presents for the grandparents! I also bought Benjamin some finger paint, so he plans to make plenty of masterpieces in the near future.

Meet the adorable party guests… you may recall them from our Halloween party in October. These are our best friends here in Cincinnati.

Here is my friend Katie with her boys Tyler and Thomas.

I made soup for lunch, and she made fruit turkeys out of pears and grapes. So cute!

It was such a fun time for the kids, and we can’t wait for the Happy Birthday Jesus Christmas party! It will be at Tammy’s house with Dominic and Leila hosting us. Stay tuned!