Picture of a Perfect Princess

(a 2 year old princess)

The Birthday P-A-R-T-Y!!!

This year we had our first "official" birthday party! I knew it was coming when Ethan asked last year on his birthday: "Mom, where are my friends?" This year Ethan could choose 2 birthday buddies to come for his P-A-R-T-Y! The chosen: Zach and Sam

Here's a look at all our fun!

1st stop: A quick play outside

note: the swords and shields lasted about 20 minutes and then had to be put away due to MULTIPLE "injuries"!

Back inside to make KNIGHTS and DRAGONS!

Daddy cutting out armor...

Finished fire breathing dragons!

Finished knight, ready to battle!

Dinner time!

Ethan's choice: CHINESE (his all-time favorite food)

DRAGON CAKE...

and the valiant dragon slayer!

here's a closer look at the dragon: fruit by the foot fire!

his head and tail are rice crispy treats! YUMM-O!

Ethan with his birthday buddies

Ethan wanted to eat the flames!

Kate gouging the dragon's eyes

Time for presents!!

before...

after:

Batman costume

Superman T-shirt

Leapster

Transformers

Trio Airplane kit

Put-put practice hole

(a good birthday!)

oh, and we can't forget the

BUBBLE TAPE -

a replacement for the one the Kate ATE! Thanks Zach! This one is kept in the highest cabinet in the house!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ETHAN!!

Today my baby is 5! *sniff

How fast the time flies!

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

sing with me:

"How do you solve a problem like...

KATE?"

Ethan got this 8' roll of bubble gum in his stocking. Luke and him have been LOVING it - their OWN gum!! They enjoyed a little strip of it this morning and little miss candy monster: "sister Kate" must have been watching and waiting for her chance for a piece. She got it, that's for sure. She was sitting in her new little chair this morning playing quietly with the I Touch while I unpacked our suitcases from our trip. When I went to pick up the living room, I grabbed her chair and out fell the container of gum, but without the gum! I asked her where it was and she said "mum" and pointed to her lips! I have looked everywhere thinking she must have just dropped the HUGE roll somewhere, but with no luck! I called poison control a few hours later just to make sure that there was nothing I needed to do (I can't even imagine what 6 feet of bubble gum looks like in a 2 year old tummy). The lady was trying to be helpful and informative, but she could not stop laughing!

Since I started this post a few days ago, little Kate has found more trouble!

This is where I found her Sunday morning before church (with another wad of gum in her mouth):

...and today at work, she painted her eyes with white out! I seriously wished I had a camera for that one! She still has little white dots allover her eyelashes!

I share these fun moments in motherhood to not only show the grandma's what a CUTE, little STINKER they have for a granddaughter, but also to remember forever the "fun" she brings to our family!

"how do you catch a cloud and pin it down?"