Happy Birthday Nate!

My sweet little Nathan celebrated his third birthday on Friday the 12th. He has been looking forward to this day for months! The whole month of July he kept telling us it was his birthday. We told him his birthday is in August. August 1st he reminded us everyday that it was August. He has been eyeing the large Buzz Lightyear at Walmart for like 3 months and wanted it so badly. We planned to get it for him for his birthday. Every time we went to Walmart he'd ask if he could go look at his Buzz Lightyear and then he'd proceed to carry it around the store trying to give me his best arguments to try and make me buy it. He kept saying, "Mom, it's August now. It's my birthday." Waiting twelve more whole days nearly did him in! After his birthday last and for every day since then, he told me he wanted a football party. So, I had planned to make a football cake and little cupcakes and have a sports theme, but after this obsession with Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear, I shouldn't have been too surprised that he wanted a Buzz Lightyear birthday. I did my best to make a rocket cake...the cake itself was delicious. I made a pound cake from scratch!! It turned out perfectly and I was so happy. I thought to myself that this year could be the year that I actually make and decorate a cake myself and have it be perfect...nope, I was wrong! The frosting is all homemade as well and that just may be my problem. I used a buttercream frosting. The colors came out pastel instead of bright and vibrant like I wanted and my pastry bag (aka a ziploc bag with a hole and pastry tip) split right as I was frosting. Curse you frosting!!! I just need to break down and buy an actual pastry bag, but that's for another time. I used licorice for the red stripes on the wings and ended up just outlining the whole rocket with it. Lame!! I did, however, find some really cute Toy Story candles that had Buzz and the aliens. So at least that worked out! I used pretzel M&M's to go around the cake and two unfrosted cupcakes for the rocket boosters. It looked like, you know what, but it was delicious! I made some little cupcakes and because of the cake disaster I didn't have time to frost them the way I wanted to either. I tried to make them into the little aliens. I used the white candies in good and plenty for the eyes and cut them in half. One of my better ideas rather than trying to make them out of fondant or something else crazy. Nate loved all of his presents but there were a few things that he was hoping to get and anxiously awaited to see what each gift was in hopes that some of these wishes came true! He has learned to ride Emma's little two wheeler and he just zips around the neighborhood. The girls have bike helmets but he doesn't. So, birthday wish #1... A bike helmet!! My parents gave this to him and in their infinte wisdome gave him one with lights in it so we could see him. He wore it around the house and while riding his bike. He doesn't like that he gets all sweaty though. The kid has so much dang hair that when he takes his helmet off he's sopping wet...really gross! A few months ago his cousin Ashton have him some hand-me-down shoes that my son just instantly fell in love with! He lovingly refers to them as his "blue shoes." He loved these blasted shoes so much that he tried to weasel into wearing them to church and he slept in them every night! This kid is so fanatic about his shoes and clothing. Anyway, he wore them to death and there were so many fights about wearing them because they had holes in them. They were so awful looking. I didn't want him wearing those things to church! People would think we were extremely poor because my son wore shoes that were hanging on by a thread-literally! I finally had to get him to throw them in the trash. We had to make a big deal about it and have a little ceremony. We said good-bye and threw them in the big trash can outside so he couldn't retrieve them later. You'll notice in the picture on the blue can is a pair of Jason's shoes. Yes, we had to have the same ritual for him! He kept gluing his soles together and it was really irritating...so Father and Son said good-bye to their beloved shoes together. For weeks afterwards Nate kept trying to look in the garbage can to see his shoes and constantly asked about them. Every time we went to Target he asked if we could buy him new shoes. So, birthday wish #2...

Grandma Childs gave him his beloved blue shoes! He immediately took of his new favorite "brown shoes" and put on his new shoes. He squealed with delight when he opened them and let out a big sigh once those babies were on his feet. Livvy swooped down on the opportunity to put on his discarded brown shoes. She loves to wear any pair of shoes that are not hers! Nate's dear Nursery teacher surprised us with a visit and brought him a book for his birthday. She is the sweetest lady and it was so nice of her to come on his birthday. He loves his book and always remembers that his teacher Sis. "Bacon" (Makin) gave him a book for his birthday. Well, now the moment he's been waiting for... Birthday Wish #3 (drum roll please)....

Ta Da! To Infinity and Beyond!! Buzz Lightyear!!! He has not left his side and sleeps with Nate in his bed and goes in the car and would come to church if Mom would let him. Nate was so excited that I got a littly misty-eyed to see his eyes light up and his squeals and his big huge smile. Despite my ugly cake disaster I think my son had pretty good birthday. I love you Nate Dawg! Happy Birthday!

Our Last Hurrah!

I've been so busy with church stuff and not feeling well that my children haven't had much of a summer vacation. So I tried to do something really fun for them the last day before school starts. (well, the weekend before it starts)

There is this new pond in Cedar Hills that is really fun and even has a "beach like" effect! Part of it is roped off for swimming and the other part is for fishing. I let Maddie and Emma each invite a friend that they don't normally get to play with and we headed out and had a picnic lunch and swam all afternoon. I got fried!!! I'm always so careful to make sure the kids have sunscreen on but I guess I only thought about putting sunscreen on me and didn't actually do it!

We had so much fun that Emma wants to go there for her birthday. I'm up for it!