And then the party

We do not let our kids watch a lot of tv. Logan never saw tv until he was 2. Coley, not so much, but she is the 2nd child and we are a little more lax now... but that is for another day. Anyway... about 2 years ago when tv was still new to Logan, we let him watch the Summer Olympics. And, like any red-blooded American male, what was his favorite event? Of course: Women's Beach Volleyball. Even at the tender age of two, he knew where it was at. We tried to get him to watch the Men's Beach Volleyball, but he wasn't having it. We recorded the Gold Medal Match between USA and China and believe me, we watched this match daily for weeks and weeks. Logan became Misty May's biggest little fan. Everytime I wore a headband for months, he said I looked like Misty May (I wish). And every time he had something that even remotely resembled an American flag, he would run around waving it in the air, yelling, "I'm Misty May, I'm Misty May!"

But I digress. My point is, Logan fell in love with the Olympics. Fast forward 2 years, and it is time for the Winter Olympics. We KNOW he is going to love this. Not only the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics, but the Winter Olympics has skiing, snow boarding, ski jumps, twirls and jumps of ice skating... truly a little boy's dream. His birthday is the 10th, the games start the 12th, and his party is the 13th. Perfect timing. We plan an Olympic-themed 4th Birthday Party.

Start by making "Athlete Passes" for the invitations; each one had a kid's name on it and I strung them on ribbon to wear as lanyards. The backs had all the party details for the parents.

At the party each kid picked a sticker with a country's flag on it, so they would represent that country. I think Logan was Switzerland.

Then the games... a Hockey Shoot Out of course (we already had the mini goals and sticks, just had to tape down lines on the floor to shoot from). Ski Moguls were a fun suggestion from a friend who is an Elementary P.E. Teacher (hop along the floor from mat to mat, with a special place to do a "trick" like a spin move or a kick-jump). And the Ice Skating Course was a hit, too ("Skate" along the floor to stations where you jump 3 times in the air, do a spin jump, balance on one leg for 3 seconds, and do 2 spins). I had an Olympic Torch race planned, but it was wet out, and I didn't really want 9 4-year-olds running through my house, all at the same time.



And then the food; Logan chose it all and then I just gave everything Olympic-sounding names: Alpine Apple Dip, Fruit Bobsleds, Pizza Pucks, and Barrel Rolls (Pigs in a Blanket). Then we ordered an ice cream cake, decorated with Snow Boarders.



All-in-all, I think the party was a big hit. I know Logan had a great time, I think his friends all had fun, and I am down with anything that keeps the kids happy and tires them out at the same time!

Happy Birthday, Sweetpea!

Last week was Logan's 4th Birthday - Happy Birthday Sweetpea!! The actual day of his birthday we went to the Children's Museum, one of his fave hang outs. The kid was all over that place. Later that night we hit up Red Robin for some tasty dinner, but not before cupcakes and presents at home!

One last peek

Here are a few pics of the cupcakes I made for Logan's Birthday last week (one last peek before I give up the sugar!). Will try and post more pics from all of last week's festivities tomorrow.

I asked him if he wanted homemade frosting, or a store-bought frosting. He requested the homemade. It's an easy recipe, no big deal, and it turns out so yummy! So I went ahead and made him the frosting from scratch. His birthday night comes around, he takes about 3 bites of his cupcake and says "I don't like this frosting, it's yucky." Grrrrrrr.... So, that was the only 3 bites he had of his birthday treat.

Same thing goes for the ice cream cake we got him for his party. I took him to the ice cream store and he tasted about 5 different kinds of ice cream before choosing one he liked. The guy at the store even gave him a free cone with that kind, and Logan ate the whole thing. Then fast forward to the day of the party... his Dad cuts him a HUGE piece of cake (as big as the kid's head, I swear), Logan takes a few bites, and says "I don't like it." So that was all the birthday cake he had.

How in the world did I end up with a kid that has no sweet tooth???
At least Coley is with me; she gobbled up her cupcake and wouldn't let up with pestering me for bites of the cake.

Weekend Over

How can the weekend be over ALREADY? I didn't get nearly as much accomplished as I had hoped... AGAIN. I got to the gym once, I built a shelf unit for Coley's room, and... I played Wii with Logan a lot and slept late both Saturday and Sunday. Therein lies the problem. Well, not really a problem, but the sticking point. I have all these lists and all this stuff I want to get done. And I always figure I will be able to knock a lot of the stuff out over the weekend, since Larry will be here to help with the kids. So my expectations go up. Then, REALITY. I like to sleep in on the weekends, and Larry lets me, to a certain extent. So there is half the morning, gone. Then, maybe Larry wants to get something done, or we want to do something as a family, etc etc. I think you see what I am getting at. My plans of productivity and efficiency get replaced with the realities of family life: it's not about one person being the standout, but about what is best for everyone. And that is a good thing. I just need to adjust my expectations when it comes to how much I can really accomplish on the Mommy-list.

Looking ahead to this week: there is a lot to do! It is time to start getting ready for Logan's 4th Birthday Party! Which means a lot of house cleaning and organization. We are still in such a chaotic mess, I feel like we will never be completely moved in and organized. But I think we are making small amounts of progress. Keep shuffling forward with those baby steps. Anyway, lots of cleaning this week, Logan should be back in school BOTH days this week (everyone is ALMOST 100% healthy again - Yeah!), and planning for the party. Then comes the big payoff: Mommy Day Out on Saturday!! WOO HOO! I claimed this last week, and am SO looking forward to it. After the craziness of the holidays, and everyone in the house being sick for the last 2 months, I deserve a day out, on my own! These are so wonderful to take sometimes, whether you are truly alone and enjoying the quiet, or if you've got friends with you, just take some time to make yourself happy and recharge those batteries! I will be getting a haircut, then heading out to the Container Store, my new favorite little treat shop "Pudding on the Rice," and possibly getting my nails done and having dinner with some amazing friends - can't wait!!!