Ladybugs!

Elena started planning this party as soon as we got done with Joseph's pirate party, two years ago.  I haven't been ready for it, though.  I was pregnant and nauseous for both those birthdays.  This year I got things together.  We made flower hair clips, though I didn't get pictures.  We played Pin The Ladybug on the Picnic.

We ate aphids on a log and flower sandwiches on a picnic blanket.

Daddy made another one of his famous piñatas.

We found an actual ladybug in the grass.

And we ate yummy cupcakes.  I'm really happy with how they came out.

Thank you to everyone who could make it out, we were so happy to have you here.

Pirates of the Duck Pond

Yes, I know the party was three weeks ago. My computer annoys me, and that's where I'm going to leave it. Also, there's a ton of pictures here. You have been warned.

I've been wanting to do a pirate party for Joseph for months. I think I'd started pondering such things in February or March. He loves The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, Peter Pan, Penelope and the Pirates, The Pirates of Penzance (and really, any three-year-old who knows and loves a 19th century operetta ought to be rewarded, somehow) and any sort of pirate themed toy or activity. They use coat hangers as hooks and boxes as ships, fighting monsters or hunting treasure all through the house. How could I not?


We were a bit worried about the weather, which alternately threatened baking heat or torrential downpours, but the big day dawn cool, slightly cloudy, and perfect for a morning in the park.

We had lots of things to do and would be earning pirate gear as we went. First we made parrots from green TP rolls and bright feathers,


and read a story while munching cheddar whales and pretzel squares.


We headed over to Pirate Cove to do battle with a fearsome ship, to earn bandannas. We even raised our foe from it's watery grave so we could sink it again. The geese wandered over as the ship first dropped anchor and watched what we were doing.




Everyone who would stay put got to play Pin The Eyepatch on The Pirate (and earned an eyepatch in return). James had his own patch to play with but was far more interested in everyone else's.


Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the treasure hunt. Jonathan was hiding clues, and I was trying to catch the intrepid band of small pirates. Jack's dad managed to catch some shots, so maybe I'll be able to prevail upon then, once they've unpacked their things in KY. In any case, we drew up picture clues for the kids to follow all around the park, leading them to a great red X that had a "treasure box" full of popsicles beneath it.

After eating popsicles and watching the ducks for a few minutes, we headed back to harbor for a pinata, made by Jonathan. Joseph has made a complete 180, in regards to pinatas, in the last year, from a sort of shy fear to total enthusiasm. All the kids had a great time laying into it, getting in some seriously good whacks. Daddy may have done his work a little too well, though, and he had the honor of finalizing the destruction his work.






Finally, it was cake time. I know, there's been a lot of ships, but you have to admit it's a cool shape. We simply could not get the candles to light, though, because the breeze was just a bit too brisk.



The cloud cover broke up as we were wrapping things up, and we simply couldn't clean up fast enough in an effort to beat the start of the heat. Joseph had so much fun with his friends, and while we wish more of his cousins could have made it we know that it's tough when we're all scattered. Happy birthday, Joseph!

First Night

First Night is fast becoming a tradition in our family. This is our third year, at least. There was just so much to see and do so this is only a small portion.

We got to see Indian dancers. The kids were all fascinated.

James danced along.


We made awesome hats out of paper grocery sacks. Joseph used pirate stickers while Elena tended toward garden denizens.


There were Japanese drummers, too. James could barely take his eyes off them. We had the chance to try them out, but passed (though we did watch close up).


We also saw a fire-tornado, a house that blew smoke-filled bubbles, a clown dressed all in burnt orange and white, bagpipers, and part of the parade. We didn't stay as late as usual, though, because it was getting cold and the wind was blowing pretty hard. All in all, it was a good evening.

It's been a good year and the Lord has greatly blessed us. I hope you have felt His love, as well.

A Wreck of Art

Cake Wrecks came to town, last week. A few of you have spotted my work, there, but here I give you all the details.

Jonathan asked me if was going to enter anything in the Wreckplica contest. I wasn't sure, and had no idea what I would do if I did, so he suggested I do this one from this post. It's his favorite cake on the site. It gets better every time he looks at it, it's just so messed up. Inspiration given, I sat down to write up a plan, and got to work. I still had my library book on cakes, so I whipped up a half batch of the same one I did for Elena and James' birthdays. I used a mini-loaf pan to get the overall shape, then cut it down to the proper size and specific shape. To give you a sense of scale, that's a 6" paper dessert plate.



I made a batch of frosting and split it into a couple bowls for each color on the cake. The brown went on first, then the blue around the edges. I was hoping it'd create curves in the right places, and it did a beautiful job.



Next came piping. I'd gotten a few tips, but didn't have a piping bag, so Ziplocks it was. With creative placement of the lines, I got all the right curves and shaping. I think it came out pretty well. Here we are, all ready for delivery.


These are most of the contenders. I think there's only one or two that aren't in this shot. I wasn't a finalist, but I did make an honorable mention on the blog. I missed the judging because Elena needed to use the restroom, but c'est la vie. It was a fun event.

July 4th

My brother and his family hosted a fabulous 4th of July party with food, swimming, and lots of family. We had a great time. So great, I forgot to get very many pictures.



We had a date for the symphony, though, and couldn't stay the whole night. We drove down to the library by our house so we could take the bus. Unfortunately, the bus decided, on a whim, to use a detour, and we waited a hour for a bus that was supposed to be there in two minutes. We ended up walking the rest of the way, getting to the top of a little rise at the edge of the park just in time for the fireworks. We missed the concert, and our view wasn't the best, but we still enjoyed the show, and that's what counts.

Baby's First Piñata

We had been invited to a neighbor's son's birthday party, Saturday afternoon, but since we were going to be out with family we had to decline. Lo, and behold, what should we see when we got home but the beginings of the setup for the party piñata. The neighbors waved us over, handed each of the kids a candy bag, and gave them the opportunity to take a whack. They didn't want to--Elena preferred to take pictures, and Joseph was too scared of the "monster"--but Jonathan helped James try it out. James thought it was hilarious and wanted more spinning.

(Joseph was still too scared, even when given the chance to touch the "monster")

We were invited in for cake and ice cream, afterward, and had a great time chatting with everyone.

Easter Fun

The day before Easter was the annual egg hunt, feast, and general merriment-that-comes-with-getting-family-together at my parents' house. It was a little rainy, but we all had a good time.





Both the kids had won egg dying kits during Bunny Bingo, the day before, so we paused on Sunday afternoon to enjoy some arts & eggs.

First Night

We like that this city really knows how to throw a party. Tonight was First Night and there were all sorts of stuff to discover. There were chimes to ring.


A very old fire truck. You can't see James' feet, but he has fire trucks on the bottom.


Under the 1st Street bridge was a presentation of 15 Minute Hamlet. The kids loved how silly the actors were.



There were also a pair of musical Tessla coils (yes, those Tessla coils) playing Christmas carols.


Auditorium Shores features art installations. Elena and Joseph ran around inside a bamboo tunnel-thing, while I staked out a spot near the clock tower.


People had the chance to write a resolution, wish, or whatever on scraps of wood and paper which were then put into the clock tower.


Then we burned it down. Something about the fire lifting our resolutions to the skies and the passage of time. I have to say that seeing a tower of flame with a clock face in silhouette and the hands spinning madly was moving, but I can't quite decide if it was profound. The heat was fantastic for warming up our chilled ears and noses, though, and we saw tons of spark-filled dust devils. It was very cool.


On the way back to the bus stop, we paused to listen to the Biscuit Brothers.


Happy New Year! I hope it's a good one.