Long Overdue (and long post)

Some of this post is over a week old and is long overdue. I was going to back date them and make a couple but really, I might never get to it. I don't love posts this long but to get it done was so important to me. So in a very shortened version, this is me catching up on the last week.

Sweet Preston was blessed on Sunday November 4th. He was really good and was passed around from baby lover to baby lover (I'm definitely in that category) and didn't complain at all. Not sure how he did the next day for his parents after being 'loved' by so many but it is so fun to hold a tiny baby, I can hardly resist it. Wait, who am I kidding, I take every chance I get!

The best pictures are on my mom's awesome work camera and well, we don't have copies of them. Hint, hint, mom! Kate did not appreciate family photo time. She wanted down in a big way to play with her cousins and chaos that was ensuing all around her. Lucky for her we didn't try to get a smiling one. Kyle let her down right after this. He hates pictures too!

Nathan didn't go to school on his actual birthday so we took treats on the 8th. His teacher gives them a little gift, eats lunch with them and gives them a cupcake with their letter on it. The kids love it! Can I say it again? I love his teacher, she was made to teach kindergarten! Dane and I went in the last 15 minutes of class and delivered Rice Krispy Treats. So easy! Dane sprinkled them, I cut them into a circle and we were ready to go in no time. The kids loved them.

Nathan was crazy when we got there. He was silly and acting goofy all over the room. They had had the previous 3 days off for conferences so I'm hoping the whole class was like that. November in school is a joke (at least around here). Not one full week of school, not one! I like having the kids home for a kick back day (and holidays) but getting back into the routine takes time, that's the part I hate.

We started a tradition around here concerning birthday parties (I might have mentioned it last year). I LOVE it!! I know my sister did something like it but, my cousin Becky really sold me on the idea a couple years ago. The kids get a friend party the year they go to kindergarten, when they turn 8 and get baptized, again at 12 and then at 16. So far, my sister's kids didn't even want one at 16, they just wanted money. Score! (Can you tell planning parties stresses me out?) To me, it gives them something to really look forward to and they don't get overly spoiled every single year. I would not fit in where parties are HUGE and tons of money spent. Definitely not my thing!

{Gramimi making Nathan's awesome cake}

This year it was Nathan's turn for a friend party. With my lack of really planning ahead and the motivation that would have required we just had a low key party with some kids from church. The weather was fantastic on Saturday so they played outside most of the time. Then we brought them inside to 'wind down' a bit before feeding them cake and ice cream and we played UNO Attack. I wasn't sure if they would like it but it went over great. They belly laughed more than once.

Nathan wanted a tractor cake. He loves John Deere stuff so one day Marion googled tractor cake and then she came up with this one. It's way cuter than the one online. She did most of it but Nathan did come up to me and ask if I was going to do any of his cake. I did the yellow hay stacks and wrote his name. When I had the piping bag in my hand I made sure to call him over so he could watch. I hope he stored that in his memory. I did give Marion moral support, not that she needed it but I was close by the whole time.


Here are the boys just goofing off outside while I tried to get a better self portrait. It isn't great but I remembered to take one, that's progress right? We had the party at Marion's because she has so much more room, especially outside. I can't say enough how glad I am that she agreed to let 6 yr old boys invade her house and that the weather cooperated. Fabulous combination!

We played a couple balloon games (pop one behind your back with a partner and race with one between your legs) but the game they liked the best was eat the donut with no hands. Nathan kept rolling over to get his donut and was totally moving into the space of the kid next to him. He kept laughing over and over, he said he thought Nathan was going to kiss him! Pretty funny stuff to have 6 yr old boys around.

Dane eventually gave up, grabbed the string and chomped down on the donut. I wanted a shot of all the boys covered in powdered sugar but they wiped it off too fast.

When the party first started Nathan was acting crazy. Anyone who knows him knows he has one volume, LOUD! He comes by it honestly but it was annoying. He kept at it and when they were playing games he would say, 'I won, you lost!' Exaggerated and once again LOUD. I had to remind him a couple times in the beginning that it wasn't nice to act like that. The reason I write all this down is because a parenting moment came full circle for me at his party. I totally understand how and why I got a little spanking at my 6 yr old birthday party.....in the McDonald's bathroom (I was acting the same way)! Granted my mom was crazy enough to invite 13 girls to it so maybe she was asking for it? Anyway, I thought it was funny to realize that now that I'm a mom. We all had a good laugh over that memory.


ONE last thing. If I stick with the same time line I did with the other boys (and I'm definitely hoping to), I only have 7 Saturdays left until a baby is living in this house with us!! I had a yikes moment with that last night. We have so much to do and change around. Our house is small and for now he'll have to be in our room which is fine, it will just require some work to get it ready. Milo and I worked all day today getting the weekly stuff done so this week I'll be somewhat ahead and can tackle the 'get ready for unnamed baby' projects that seem ever present and more pressing all the time. Oh my, how 7 Saturdays will fly!!