Avalee Turns Three!

It's hard for me to believe, but my baby girl is now three. For some reason, three seems like that age where they're really growing up; they're definitely not a baby anymore and are moving past toddlerhood. And, I'm not sure why, but this birthday seemed to just sneak up on me too. Maybe it's because she is my baby or because I know she is our last, but suddenly there I was faced with the fact that my Avalee was now a little girl.

Of course, to top it all off, she has really changed a lot recently and definitely seems to be much older now. She has always been so well spoken with a huge vocabulary (just like her big brother) to go along with it. But, now she's just talking all the time and about everything. It's amazing to hear the sentences she strings together. She is also singing up a storm, which again has been something she's always done, but now it's actual songs, hehe. I almost can't believe she's the same Avalee from a couple months ago! She also just has a different air about her, acting much more mature than she did even just last month (although, I assure you, those tantrums still pop up from time-to-time!).

She has always been the quieter of my two kiddos, and tends to be a bit more reserved. She really takes him time to ponder things, and it takes her a little longer to warm up to people too. She is still social, like her brother, though and really enjoys being around other people. She's always asking if her 'fwends' are coming over to play or if we're going somewhere to play with new friends.

But, my most favorite thing about my girl (and always has been) is her happy, shiny demeanor! She has always been so cheerful and upbeat and is almost never without a smile on her face. That attitude also seeps into her relationships with everyone, and she loves like no other. She will shower you with kisses, bestow hug after hug and tell you 'I Love You' (along with signing it, of course) a thousand times just before breakfast! She is so loving, caring and gracious and I'm always telling myself how lucky I am to get to be her mama!

So, this year for our new little three year old, Miss Avalee got not one, not two but three birthday celebrations! The first was technically my birthday celebration with family, but since our birthdays are only a day apart we kind of shared. ;o) She got to open a couple presents and help Mommy blow out the birthday candles (and, of course, have her share of cake and ice cream).

The next day was her birthday, and it started out with Mommy making her favorite breakfast; a waffle (in the shape of a birthday cake) and scrambled eggs. Of course, I added a candle for her to blow out too. She loved it!






After Daddy got home, we decided the four of us would go out for dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. The best part of dinner was when they came over to sing 'Feliz Cumpleanos' to Avalee they also put a huge sombrero on her head! She wasn't quite sure what to make of everything; the crazy hat, the song, everyone staring at her. Her reaction was just priceless!





After dinner, we went home to open presents (Avalee was presented with a cupcake, since we already had about half of my birthday cake left from the day before, haha) which included a couple special gifts from her big brother. :)

Do you like how big bro is 'helping' her blow out the candle? Ha!

Avalee was presented with a special present from Zavion' a crown he made himself and a veil of sorts (using leftover tulle from her party). :)

Of course, the rewards are aplenty with these two!

Miss A in her new birthday outfit from Zavion.

We had her big birthday party the next weekend (usually, I would have it on the closest Saturday to the actual birthday but that happened to fall on the same day as the big holiday parade this year) and invited all her friends and family. She requested a horsie party earlier in the year, so that was the theme. Thanks to my Cricut, Pinterest and my own imagination (and, if I may go so far as to say skill too!) I put together a horsie party catered to my little girl. I had a feeling she was going to enjoy it, just because she was so impressed with the little elements I had been working on over the last month or so. It sure made me happy that I was making her happy!

I will, as usual, add another post very soon with all the details of Miss Avalee's horsie party...stay tuned!

My Gift Giving Guide: Part 1: Stocking Stuffers

I know; it seems that anyone and everyone who has a blog out there is sharing their gift ideas with you. But, still it seemed like fun, and maybe just maybe I'll have something new you haven't seen before!

I'm planning on sharing with you everything I do...yep, everything. Haha! As we are on a tight budget, I make a lot of Christmas gifts for giving. Personally, these are my favorite kind of gifts; they're personal and so full of love. Whether I'm giving them or receiving them, homemade gifts just make my heart happy.

So, I'm going ton share some of my absolute favorite homemade gifts! Some are my own tried and true that I make each year, some that I've made once and have loved the result and even some that I've seen out there (Pinterest!) that look really nifty.

But, first I'm going to kick off my gift giving guide with my personal stocking stuffer favorites!
And, here is my aside about stocking stuffers... I love stocking stuffers!

So, do my kiddos, apparently!


Personally, it's my favorite part of the gift giving Christmas Day scene. We wrap all of our stocking stuffers, which I think really makes it so much more fun (they don't get wrapped all fancy, and it's a great way to use up those scraps of paper from other gifts) and gives you a reason to not have to buy a lot more (and expensive) Christmas gifts. I also don't believe in the traditional loading up the stockings with toys and candy. In fact, if we give any candy at all, it's usually just a piece or two (and often from the kids' Halloween buckets, haha). I do, however, load up on fruit. See, my kiddos love fruit and my six year old loves 'different' types of fruit. So, I try to get fruit that we don't have everyday (ie: Apples, bananas, oranges) to stuff in their stockings; last year it was kiwis and mangoes. The kids love it and I'm happy that they're snacking on fruit Christmas morning instead of Tootsie Rolls.

So, without further ado, here is my list of stocking stuffer ideas for the family...

Kids:
Packets of seeds
Small flashlights or glowsticks
Packets of Koolaid (a real treat for my kiddos-although we only make sugar-free- plus it can be used in crafts!)
Cupcake wrappers, sprinkles, colored sugars (make your own!)
Hair pretties, costume jewelry, nail polish for girls
Neck or bow ties for boys (my six year old loves dressing nice)
Gloves, hats, scarves
Fun socks or leggings
Small photo albums with family photos
Fancy scissors, paper punches, stamps...
Ribbon/yarn,
Googly eyes
Pipecleaners, pompoms
Glue or tape (double stick is great for kids-find it at the Dollar Tree!)
Beads
Die Cut shapes (if you have a Cricut, make your own!)
Chapstick (my kids always steal mine!), lotion
Bubble bath, bath paint, crayons...
$5 gift cards to their favorite places to eat or even stores to shop
Silly putty or playdough (and cookie cutters to go with these!)
Cookie cutters
Stickers
Cheap movies (Target has $5 section with lots of different kids movies)
Small books, puzzles, activity pads
Tickets to fun outings like the zoo, a play, the aquarium (you can even make your own 'coupons' to avoid buying these all at once & remember to check out Groupon!)
Movie tickets
Tokens-we have a carousel in out town so I toss a couple of those in there, but you could also do Chuck E Cheese
Rolls of coins for their piggybanks
Chalk or crayons (you can even make your own in fun shapes!)
Coloring books or small rolls of craft paper (Micheal's has rolls of color paper in the dollar section)
Sticky notes (kids love these!)
Silly Bandz
Rocks-agates, geodes, crystals (my son loves rocks and even makes up his own observations)
Hot cocoa
Homemade marshmallows
Small recipe books or recipe cards
Christmas ornaments
Super balls or small playground balls
Matchbox/Hotwheels cars
Playing cards
Card games
Travel board games (you can often find these in the travel section)
CDs or gift cards for MP3 downloads
Magazines (you can even attach a note saying they're getting a subscription)
Sand toys
Play kitchen things (utensils, play food, etc)
Small water bottles
Fun pencils
Bubbles (you can get party favor packs at most stores)
Small toy figures (there are little Disney princess ones for girls and little superhero for the boys)

*As you could have guessed by my list, my kiddos are really into arts and crafts! However, most of the craft things can be enjoyed by all kiddos!

Adults
Gals
Fuzzy socks
Gloves/mittens
Scarves
Lotion
Lip gloss
Small picture frames (magnetic that can go on the fridge are always good)
Jewelry
Hair ties, barrettes
Favorite magazine (again, include a note giving a subscription)
Puzzle books
Nail polish
Gift cards for manicure/pedicure, hair salon, etc
Gift card to her favorite restaurant
Small bottles of her favorite liquor or mixers
Measuring spoons or cups
Recipe cards or small recipe book
Stationery set
Gardening gloves
Loopha
Seed packets or bulbs
Cookie cutters
Travel coffee mus or personalized coffee mug (pictures of the kids, wedding pictures, etc)
Flavored teas/coffees
Perfume
Headphones/earbuds
CD or giftcard for MP3s
DVD
Small jewelry box
Giftcards for family photos (or even photo sharing sites where she can make albums or print out photos, like Shutterfly)
Family Christmas ornament
Scrapbooking supplies
Coupons for date night (have a babysitter already lined up and movie/restaurant gift card purchased)
Gift card to Groupon, Restaurant.com, Living Social (moms love to save money!)
Small purse, wristlet, coin wallet
Attachments to Kitchen Aid mixer
Cricut (if she has one) accessories (cutting mat, extra blades, spatula, etc)
Small flashlight (purse size)
Manicure set
Pedometer
Bubble bath, salts, fizzies
Lingerie (make sure the kids are distracted though, hehe!)
Cell phone cover
Small camera (purse size)
Hand sanitizer
Gift card to Bath & Body Works (I tell my hubby every year; I love what he gets me from there, but a gift card goes a lot further with those after-Christmas sales!)
Sunglasses
Small desk calendar
Candles
Bud vases


Guys
Flashlight or headlamp (guys think these are so cool, haha)
Small desk calendar
Tools (screwdriver, wrench, pliers, etc)
Universal remote
Drill bits
Sunglasses
Level
Warm gloves, scarves
Work gloves
Picture frames for his desk
Flavored coffee
Travel mug or personalized coffee mug
USB drive
CD
DVD
Favorite magazine (with subscription)
Books
Bartending supplies
Cologne
Hand cream
Tool belt
Money clip
Wallet
Water bottle
Video game strategy guides
Jerkey
Coupons for you to take over his 'man-jobs' (mow lawn, take out garbage, etc) sometimes
Boxers
Coupons for date night (same as for the gals)
Headphones/earbuds
Cell phone case/clip
Bottle of nice beer (World Market has the single bottles) or get a six-pack, put one in the stocking and hide the rest
Hot sauce (go ahead and laugh, but is my hubby runs out of his Cholula...hehe)
Coupon for paintballing, fight night, golf course (coordinate with the wives of his friends so they can get the same thing)
Wii points card
Gear for their favorite hobby or sport (for my hubby that's cycling gear and video game accessories)
Beer cozy
Nice bottle opener
Swiss Army knife
Gift card to get his car detailed
Cigars
Cufflinks
Massage oil with coupons for massages from you (maybe make this a date night...hehe)
Gift cards to favorite lunch spots (my hubby usually takes leftovers for lunch, so really appreciates gift cards to go out to eat a few times)
Tire gauge
Air compressor to plug in car adapter
Replacement needles for airing up balls
Sweatbands
Favorite team pennant, car sticker, flag, etc
Spice rubs
BBQ supplies (mitts, apron, brush, tongs)
Set of nice shot glasses

*And, don't be afraid to start traditions, even with stocking stuffers. I get my hubby a Dilbert desk calendar every year (for about the last ten years). He expects it, but doesn't care!
And, also don't limit homemade things for just the 'big' gifts. Although I didn't include it, I also make homemade goodies like marshmallows, caramels, caramel corn to go in my hubby's or kiddos' stockings.

A Science Birthday Party...Part 2, Experiments

I think the biggest challenge for this party was coming up with all the experiments They had to be easy enough that a large group of 5-6 year olds with minimal supervision could handle, while still keeping them entertained. I went back and forth so many times with different experiments, and even changed it up the night before the party. I also had a couple back-up experiments just in case we got through them too quickly or something happened.
Something that was really important was to have everything prepped in advance. I know from experience how crazy it gets during the party, and I didn't want to have to be rushing around trying to find food coloring or containers. And, since I had a couple 'assistants' (my best friend and mom, as usual, saving the day for me!) I wanted to make sure they knew what to do if I had to run off somewhere else.

The kiddos were all ready to start experimenting (that's my long haired hippie kiddos on the left, hehe)!


Something else I did, was in addition to buying the actual experiment supplies, was to buy small cake pans (Dollar Tree has them in a two pack for $1) that the kids could perform their experiments in. Although we were outside for most of the experiments, and the table was covered in plastic, I thought it would help to contain all the kids' experiments. I also bought some cookie sheets (from the dollar store) that resembled medical trays (at least I thought so, haha) to hold all the pieces of the experiments, so that I could have them all set up and ready to go. And containers for each child to use for their slime experiment so they could then could take their slime home in it.
These little things went a long way in keeping everything running smoothly!

So, in order these are the experiments we did at the party.

Grow Your Own Snow

Supplies:

• Kit-sold at Michaels (we used three kits for about six kids)
• Containers to hold the snow-We used plastic Dixie cups
• Water-We used turkey basters (bought at Dollar Tree) so the kids could easily add their own water.
• *Optional-food coloring

This one is pretty self-explanatory; just follow the directions on the box (after the snow is 'made' you can add in a few drops of food coloring). Ha!






Volcanoes

Supplies:

• Modeling clay or playdough (word to the wise here: I tested with playdough & it worked great but when I went to pick up supplies I saw the modeling clay was really cheap. Since several sites used this, I bought it instead. It turned out it was really hard for the kids to mold, so unless you have older kids, I would stick with the playdough)
• Spoons to add baking soda (I used my daughter's old baby spoons-those little plastic type)
• Vinegar
• Baking soda

• *Optional-Food coloring (though if they can the kids will want to add it to everything)

How to:

• Have the kids make form their playdough/clay into volcano forms (you may find it easier to have them mold it around a cup). It doesn't have to be perfect; just have a hole in the middle to put in the solution.
• Add a couple spoonfuls of baking soda to each volcano (best if parents do this part to avoid adding too much)
• Have the kids add the vinegar (again we used turkey basters here) and watch the explosion!
• This is really a fun experiment that's easy to do (and doesn't cost a lot in supplies) for the kids! The best part is that they can keep adding the vinegar over and over to keep making their volcanoes erupt (and that's the perfect time for you to get set up for the next experiment). :)
  
  
  
  

Slime:

Supplies:

• Mixing bowls
• Warm water
• Elmer's glue
• Food coloring
• Craft stick
• Borax

How to:
**This one I handled I little different, since there were several components involved. There are two different solutions that need to be mixed together here, so I pre-measured them and let the kids add them.
In one container (these were the plastic bowls I had for each child and I also wrote each name on with permanent marker) add:

• 1/3 cup warm water, 1/2 cup Elmer's glue
• Then let the kids add:
• Six drops food coloring of choice and stir with craft stick

• • 

In a separate container (again I pre-added the ingredients using plastic canning jars) add:

• 3/4 cup warm water and 2 teaspoons Borax.
• Then have the kids just shake, shake, shake to mix up the ingredients!

Now:

• Have the kids pour the second mixture (in the cup) into the first (in the bowl) and stir. They might start stirring using the craft stick, but will eventually have to use their hands when it thickens up. Make sure they incorporate everything together as well as possible and really knead it together. There will be some leftover water which is completely normal.

The kiddos are all enjoying their new slime!


Pudding Creations

Supplies:

• Pudding (or you could even do ice cream, yogurt, etc)
• Mix-ins (I had sprinkles, gummy worms, crushed cookies & candies in various test tubes and petri dishes)

How to:
Again pretty self-explanatory..just let the kids add whatever they want! :)

My birthday boy enjoying his pudding!


Mentos/Diet Coke Geysers

The kids were lined up waiting for their turn!


Supplies:

• 1 or 2 liters Diet Coke
• Mentos candies (about four per bottle)

How to:

• Put the soda bottles on as flat a surface as possible
• Give each child their Mentos
• Add the Mentos and get out of the way!

*Since we were dealing with younger kiddos, we had each one go up (one at a time) and my husband opened up the bottles (make sure you don't open until just before you add the candy) for them so they could concentrate on just adding the candy.

My son was the first to go and really got it started off right!


My hubby also discovered using a toilet paper roll placed over the opening to the bottle gives the kiddos with smaller hands easier aim to add the candy. Just be aware you'll only get a couple uses out of each roll, as they get wet quickly (you can also but Mentos launchers from Micheal's, as well as several online stores)!

What is funny to me here is the reactions of all the kids in the background!


And, that's it! The kids all had a fantastic time and got to take home some of their wonderful creations (the snow, slime and the pudding creations were consumed about two minutes after they each made them, haha).

A science birthday party:Part 1...

As promised, here are the details from Zavion's science themed birthday party!

To start at the beginning... We had been planning this party over the course of about six months, which gave me ample time to gather supplies, place orders, find and test experiments, and finally make all the decorations as well as put together all the experiments. So, what am I saying? It is, of course, possible to quickly throw something together, but it is really helpful if you can at least start your planning a couple months in advance (trust me, your sanity will be tested!).

I'll start out with the party invitations. I saw a great idea on Pinterest to use petri dishes to hold the invitations, and while I knew they couldn't be mailed, I figured they would be great for passing out to school friends. My problem was I got started much too late to have petri dishes ordered in time, but luckily Target to the rescue! They had some petri dishes (in the perfect size) with slime and a little toy in the Halloween dollar section. I just took out the insides, and added the invitations. I cannot remember where I got the idea for the invitation wording, but if I find it later, I'll add the source. I just printed the invitations using Print Shop, folded them and put them in the petri dishes. A mini address label with the kids names on them helped keep the petri dishes closed. Zavion passed these out at school, and they were a huge hit (for both parents and kiddos alike!).

And, as with all my parties, I divided it up into categories;

Decorations

Food

Activities/games or in this case, Experiments

Supplies

Two of the biggest decorations for this party were the giant Periodic table and chalkboard. I knew I really wanted to make a big statement about this being a science themed party (like the experiments wouldn't do that right? Haha!), and that's where the idea for the Periodic Table came in. I had been seeing a lot of great ideas on Pinterest using paint chips for various things (pain chip banners, note books, using it for confetti...) and it hit me! I could use the big square paint chips for the Periodic Table! So, I set out for Lowes and after about 15 minutes of choosing my colors (I learned there aren't really any 'set' colors, you just have to separate accordingly) and counting out all those paint chips, I was armed and ready to go. I set my laptop up in front of me for reference and got to work putting all the colors together. Once, I had the actual table in place I also needed to somehow get the symbols on the squares. I elected to use my Cricut to cut out all the symbols, which worked wonderfully! Once everything was cut out, I got to work applying them to the squares and then taped it all together. After that, it was a matter of taping that entire piece onto some poster board, for support, then adding the title (using more Cricut letters). This was definitely one of the cheapest party decorations I've ever done! I was very happy with how it turned out, and it held an honorable spot, on the wall above the fireplace.

One of my other big ideas was to create a giant chalkboard that would give the food table area a feeling of being in a science lab. It was one of those things I really wanted to do, but saw not getting completed. However, I decided it was just too important to put on the backburner! I bought a huge piece of MDF at Lowes (same trip as the paint chips...hubby and I split up) and had them cut a smaller 5x4 piece. I picked up some chalkboard paint and put my hubby to work painting the thing. After a week of painting, drying and curing, it was ready! I also gave my hubby the job of writing down some real equations (I know having a math/science/computer geek hubby would come in handy, hehe!). I also made a last minute decision to write the happy birthday message on the chalkboard, rather then my usual banner that I make. I was really pleased with my decision to do so, because it saved me so much time and it just looked really great too! The finished piece was propped against the wall on the food table and gave it exactly the feel I had envisioned! :)

The rest of the party décor was kept pretty minimal this year (since it was just a kids party, I didn't think they would notice much of the decorations).

For the door sign (I think it's important to always have something on your front door to welcome guests), I had a big beaker (tile printed from my computer then traced onto foam board and cut out) that spilled out a big blob (just using some glittered scrapbooking paper) with 'Zavion's 6^th birthday.'

I wanted the fireplace mantle to resemble a working lab, so purchased a group of beakers (Amazon.com: $10.99/5) that I filled with colored water and/or water beads (if you haven't seen these, they are amazing! They're supposed to be for floral arranging, but Zavion envisioned them for his party and they gave a nice experiment feel) then we added dry ice to some to make the 'experiments' bubble. I had a couple beakers set on top of a faux book I bought at Michaels (stenciled 'Chemistry' on at the last minute), Zavion's microscope at the other end and a couple props between (including an Einstein bobble head that came in a long ago Happy Meal...remember when party planning to always look around at what you already have!).




In front I taped several balloons that I had stenciled (using the inverse of Cricut cut letters and a Sharpie) He, the symbol for Helium. I'm guessing that was lost on most of our little guests, but it made me happy. ;o)

I made a simple banner that said 'Experiment' to hang in the lab area (which started out in our driveway and moved to the living room when it started to rain) using my Cricut and various shades of green scrapbook paper.

On the lab table itself, I used some photo holders (Target dollar spot) to hold beakers I had cut out with the letters 'LAB' glued on the front, using (you guessed it!) my Cricut. I added some little bubbles to the top and a piece of green paper in the bottom to make it look like they held different liquid concoctions.

For the first time, I purchased some of my party items! When the idea of the party first came to my mind, I saw these awesome bottle wrappers. I always put bottle wrappers on my list, but they always get pushed to the back, and never completed. But, when I saw these I just knew I had to have some. I originally had planned to make my own, using a similar idea, but in the end felt they were just so cool I probably couldn't improve on them anyway. They came with some soda labels too, and since my mom had already purchased some mini bottles of soda, it seemed perfect. And, I just couldn't beat the price either!



And, because of a small cake issue, I was forced to buy some last minute cupcakes which meant I needed cupcake picks, And, when I say last minute, I'm talking about 10PM the night before the party! I could have made my own but wouldn't have slept, so instead turned to the same company and ordered the cupcake picks and wrappers. They arrived via email in a PDF file the next morning and I was able to get them printed, cut out and placed in the cupcakes just in time...whew!

And, speaking of the cake... It was quite a community labor! A friend of mine made the amazing fondant pieces onto of the cake and my sister's friend made the cake. The night before the party, I made the signs to go on the cake (I was literally bowing down before my Cricut at this point...hehe) and finished it off with a fun border of blue Skittles. It turned out wonderfully and the birthday boy was quite impressed.

I decided to keep the food pretty simple, since again we were just expecting Zavion's friends (and not all the usual Grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc) so made some quick peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (you can do the same with cheese quesadillas, if you have any peanut butter allergies) and cut them out with beaker cookie cutters. I placed them on a metal baking pan I bought (at the dollar store) that resembled a lab tray.




I also had a couple large vases (IKEA) that I use all the time, and they just happed to resemble large beakers, so filled those with chips and pretzels and set them out. Everyone's favorite treat though were the Jello filled petri dishes with worms sticking out. They were very simple to make; just poured the Jello into the petri dishes (Amazon.com: $5.99/25) then added the worms and refrigerated. I think if I just had those to eat, the kids would have been happy!

And, for the little scientists themselves? I ordered disposable lab coats online for each child to use at the party and take home with them. They were surprisingly inexpensive at $1.65/ea and with 10 kids (this is where you can make a big impact without spending a fortune...just invite fewer kids! I'm guessing your child won't mind or even notice that your friends kids aren't there, right? Just set a limit-in our case I told Zavion 10 kids-and I guarantee that will enjoy getting to pick their own guests) it was within the budget.




I decided to make 'official' badges for each of the kids too, so I bought some badge covers and clips at WalMart ($2.95/20) and quickly printed something off the computer. The kids were very impressed by these. In addition to their lab coats and badges, each kiddo also started off with their very own clipboard that listed out all the experiments they would be doing. These were purchased at Staples for $.50/each (there was a limit of two, so in I went with my two munchkins and my mom, and armed them each with two clipboards and $1...then I made my hubby go back with me later for the four more...haha) then I added a coating of chalkboard paint so the kids could write directly on them. I told the kids they could use them to jot down observations, draw predictions of experiments, etc. A couple kids took that very seriously and would not put their clipboards down!






I had also intended to buy some goggles for each kid, but couldn't find any at the dollar store, and felt that it would send my budget over. They would have been a nice addition, but since we weren't doing anything really dangerous, they weren't actually necessary.

I didn't want to go all out for party favors this year, and felt that the experiments they were going to take with them would be a huge part of that. In addition, they of course got to take their lab coats, badges, and clipboards, plus each guest got a test tube filled with Skittles (Amazon.com: $2.99/20).

And, of course the most important aspect of any science party are the experiments, right? Since we did quite a few experiments, I've decided to dedicate an entire blog post to just those. So, this will continue soon with Part 2: The Experiments!

Linking up here:

I have a six year old!

Wow, so I know I've been saying this every year, but when did my boy get so old?? I cannot believe that he's already six! Totally cliché, but it just seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and now I'm picking him up from school. Yesterday he was sitting up for the first time and saying 'Da-da'; today he's asking for his own phone and inviting his friends over to 'hang out with' after school. Sigh.

Still, and I know I say this every year too, I love the age he is now. He's so inquisitive and his thirst for knowledge is inspiring. Whether he's asking about Saturn, the theory of relativity or if the Japanese have sign language, his mind is always going. And, now that he's in school, I get to hear about all the cool stuff he's learning there (although he says his favorite part of the day is recess., haha!) and see all the fantastic projects he brings home.

Since Zavion's birthday was in the middle of the week this year, we decided to celebrate with just the four of us, at home. He requested his favorite meal, pizza soup (you may remember he asked for this meal on his birthday last year too, and we actually hauled our Crockpots all the way to California just to make it. And, since it's a widely requested recipe of mine, I've included it below!), and a Funfetti cake (has anything better come from a box since Jack himself??).



After dinner and dessert, we let him open up presents from us. It was low-key and quiet and I loved it! I felt a little guilty about the grandparents not celebrating with us, but we planned for them to come over the day after his birthday party.

He got his very first video game and was completely enamored...haha!

Am Optimus Prime mask!


His birthday party itself was a little different then in the past too. Usually we invite everyone; family, friends all party together. But, this year he had quite a few school friends he wanted to invite, so we decided it would just be a friend party. He was pretty excited to have some of his buddies from school plus some other friends that he hangs out with in our mom's group.

We had decided on a science theme months earlier (maybe even 11 months earlier, haha!) and I had been prepping for weeks. Besides the usual decorations and food I make by hand, we were also adding in several science experiments. This meant testing, buying special equipments and putting it all together for the day of the party. There was a lot of time put into it! Zavion contributed with his own ideas and between the two of us we came up with five different experiments; make-your-own-snow (using a kit I bought with a 50% coupon from Michaels), erupting volcanoes (using baking soda and vinegar), slime, pudding creations and the Mentos/Coke geysers. I tried coming up with experiments that wouldn't cost a lot or even some that I already had everything around the house. The biggest expense was the Mentos experiment, but that was well worth it!

I had already asked my best friend and mom to help out the day of the party, and besides being some of the hardest workers ever, they also know me pretty well (which means they know hoe to talk me down or when to just back away...hehe). I made sure to have all the experiments ready to go, so they could just be set out for the kids when we were ready. We were able to do all but one experiment in the driveway (it started sprinkling so we moved indoors) which gave me a little piece of mind (since 5-7 yr olds+food coloring=disaster) and helped me maintain my sanity a little longer.

All of the experiments went off without a hitch and the kids seemed to really have a great time. The favorite seemed to be the last experiment we did which was creating geysers by adding Mentos candy to Diet Coke. The kids all got a kick out of the exploding soda!

After our last experiment, we came in for cake and gifts and the day ended with a very happy six year old. When I asked him if he enjoyed his party, he said, “Yes Mom! Thank you! You give the best parties!” Aw, what more can a mom ask for? :o)

Pizza Soup

Ingredients

--1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce

--3 empty jars full of water

--1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

--1/2 red onion, chopped

--1 cup sliced mushrooms

--1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters)

--1 cup cooked & crumbled Italian sausage (or 2 links)

--1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters

--1 tbl dried basil

--1 tbl dried oregano

--2-3 tbl minced garlic

--1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (the mini pastas work the best; I use mini Farfalle)

--Shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

-- Garlic salt

Directions

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4.

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot.

Add sausage & pepperoni to crockpot.

Add basil, oregano and garlic.

Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really

only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.

Thirty (20 min if using mini pasta) minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high.

Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese & season with garlic salt.

We like to serve this with homemade breadsticks too...YUMM!

*Stay-tuned for the next blog which will include all the birthday party details!*

Back-to-School Fairy makes a vist!

Well, I'm proud to say I did it! I survived the first week of school! It has gotten easier day-by-day, but I'm still not all the way there yet.

As a control freak, it's been hard for me not knowing what Zavion is doing all two and a half hours he's at school. I was used to knowing every part of his every day, and know I have to ask him what he did, what he learned, who he played with. And, I don't know if it's just a kid thing, but he's not so forthcoming with the information! He says he doesn't remember or doesn't know things, but then a few hours later or the next day he'll casually mention something about school that I hadn't heard yet. Ack...it's driving me bonkers! Maybe I'll get used to it, or maybe he'll get better at 'remembering' but for now, it's one of my biggest annoyances.

My one saving grace is that we live across from the school, so I at least feel better being physically closer to him than if he was somewhere else.

Oh yea, and I can watch him on the playground from the living room or bedroom window (I just need to find the binoculars now to get a better view).

Thanks to the hubby for sneakily taking this while I was trying to find which one was Zavion on the playground. ;o)

But, really, I wanted to share with you some fun stuff I did before school started, to get my boy even more excited for everything school...

I had seen this idea about the Back to School Fairy and thought it sounded fun! Since this is the beginning of many years of school for us (Zavion then Avalee) I thought it would be a great time to introduce new traditions.

There are several other blogs out there that have also done this, and after looking through a few ideas, I had an idea of how I wanted to do it. Obviously there are so many different ways you can do this, but this what I did...

I decided on a single visit from the fairy a couple days before school.

{I had heard of some doing multiple visits the week leading up to school, but I didn't want to set an expectation for Zavion, and I thought the one visit would be more special.}

I gathered some fun stuff for him, being careful to include learning things as well as just fun things. Also, I tried keeping it budget-friendly, getting most items from the dollar section at Target or using sales/coupons. I also decided to include something for Avalee, since it really wouldn't be fair to exclude her.

Everything was put into a large brown paper bag (from the grocery store) and I paper clipped a note from the fairy onto the front.



I rang the doorbell, then quickly came back in through the garage, and asked Zavion if he could answer the door.

He was very excited and completely surprised to find the package. The look on his face was just priceless!

Included in the bag:

A puzzle about the Earth's core

Math bingo game

Pencil case

Two packages of pencils

A football eraser

Paint and paintbrushes

A DVD (the most expensive item, but something he really, really wanted)

A Phineas and Ferb joke book (he loves this show!)

Goldfish crackers (back-to-school snack)

Giftcard ($5) to DQ (he always asks to go there)

And, a number puzzle for Avalee.

Attached was this letter:

Dear Zavion,

I know that you're starting Kindergarten in a couple days, and I wanted to introduce myself to you!

You see, I am your back-to-school fairy. I know you probably haven't heard of us back-to-school fairies before (I know we aren't as popular as the tooth fairy!), but we are out there, and take our jobs very seriously.

I've had the chance to observe you over the past little while, to get an idea of who you are and what you need from me. What I've seen from you makes me very proud to be your back-to-school fairy.

You are kind, compassionate and loving. The way you take care of your sister, involve her in everything, share with her and love her makes me oh-so happy! I also love how you help out your mom, and take care of her, especially when your dad was on his trip.

And, your love of learning is something that impresses me very much! I've heard some of the interesting questions you ask your mom and dad, and have seen how much you love studying your math book. You are a special boy and are going to have a great time in school!

So, I have included these gifts to celebrate this new and exciting part of your life! I know how excited you are to start school and I'm sure excited to see what you can do!

Since I know how much you love to learn, I included some flashcards and fun math bingo (I heard you also really like to play bingo) game. I also thought you might need some extra-fun supplies to do your new homework with, so I put in some cool pencils, erasers and your own pencil sharpener! And, for fun, I thought you might like to read this joke book (after you do your homework, of course)! I put in some after-school snacks, and since I know how much you love s'mores, I thought you might enjoy these! And, last but not least, I put in a gift card for Dairy Queen for you. I thought, you could go for lunch sometime or even for an after-school treat.

Zavion, I am so excited to be part of this new wonderful experience with you! I will pop by from time-to-time to check on you and see how you're doing in school.

And, like I tell all of my kids; go to bed on time every night (sleep is very important for learning!), mind your teacher (and parents!), do your homework and have fun!

Oh, and remember to hang up your backpack everyday (Mom shouldn't have to do that for you!)!

With Love,

Miss Back-To-School Fairy

I was so happy with how well this went, and I think it helped me more than him, haha!

He also got a brand new bunk bed, so he is very happy here with all his new loot sitting on his new bed! :o)


As we were going upstairs that night, Zavion said, “I think I'd like to write a Thank You note to the Back-to-School Fairy.” Colin and I just looked at each other and smiled, and of course told Zavion that that would be a very nice thing to do. He's such a wonderful guy!

The next day he wrote a note and drew a picture, then added some things to a paper bag to be 'delivered' to the BTS Fairy. So sweet!

I also plan to have some random visits from the BTS Fairy over the school year. There might be just some little notes to check in on him or maybe even a little gift here and there. :o)

Zavion-My big Kindergartner

Today was the day. The day I've thought about since the day you were born. The day I've been thinking about almost daily for the last six months.

You were ready; more than ready. You knew that when you turned five, that meant school. Yet, you turned five just a month over the cut-off, so you had to wait. Living across from the elementary school was difficult; you saw the kids out there everyday and were just itching to start school. Your two cousins, only six and four months older, were already in Kindergarten and I watched your eager face as they told stories of school.

I was not as ready. Having you be so eager and excited made me happy-happy for you. I however, couldn't stop thinking; "Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital?" "Wasn't it just last month he said his first word, took his first steps...?"

We had so much time together, just the two of us, before Avalee came along. Three years and two months, to be exact. We have always been best friends, partners-in-crime. You shared my love of reading, and we would spend countless hours reading 'One Fish Two Fish,' 'Stinky Face, 'Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb' and countless others. Sometimes Daddy would get home from work, and I would realize all we had done was read all day.
As you got older, you developed a real knack for cooking and would spend as much time with me in the kitchen as you could. We were also craft buddies and I decided early on to just let you do whatever you were capable of, regardless of the mess. We sure had some interesting moments!

But, I knew it was time to send you onto teachers who would further what Daddy and I have already taught you. You are so anxious to learn math, are ready to read your own books and want to know everything there is about space.

Again, I was bolstered by your self-confidence, leadership and self-reliance. You have always been the type of kid to just go out and get what you want. You have a drive for knowledge in everything you do. You also have Mommy's perfectionism which combined means you are one determined guy! You make things happen but do it with a big smile on your face. You have one of the biggest, most unique personalities I have seen on anyone. In fact, you have been this way since the minute you were born. Your first smile was at only three days (captured by a very quick Daddy), first sentence at 17 months old and by two, you were going around the playground introducing yourself to kids and adults alike.

You also posses this amazing sensitivity. Your are compassionate to all, and are fiercely loyal to those you love. Your sister is probably the luckiest girl ever to have a brother who takes care of her and treats her with such respect. Dad and I are lucky too, often being the recipients of letters, pictures and gifts you have created for us (sometimes just because, sometimes as a 'thanks for doing all you do for me'). You have an amazing knack for sensing when someone needs a little extra boost, and you deliver; whether it's a drawing, hug or big smile, you can always brighten the mood.

And, today? Well, it was no different than any other despite us telling you what a big deal the first day of Kindergarten was. You obliged me taking a thousand pictures in front of the door, being careful not too smudge the chalk on the sign I made (maybe because you saw me being way too anal while making it?) then announced you were ready to go.



We tried holding you back but you were too anxious, so with thirty minutes until classes started, we started the five minute walk to the school.

You were so excited you were just bounding along, and your enthusiasm crept over to your little sister (who was so anxious about you leaving she didn't go to sleep until after 11PM the night before-at one point even crawling into your bed). I was happy to see the two of your running, chasing and tickling each other on the way over. Somehow, I think you knew she needed that.



We got to the school, and you went in just like you owned the place. It was only as we were walking down the long hallway to your classroom that you reached over and grabbed my hand. I wonder if that was for you or me?




In the classroom, and again it was like you were right at home (you had been there a few times already; for orientation, open house and assessments). Watching you do the mundane things that you will do everyday, like hang up your bag, pick a seat and stack up blocks, I started to tear up a little.



I think it was just the realization that that was now your new 'norm' and that I wasn't going to see that everyday.

We stuck around awhile; Dad, Avalee and I, just assessing everything, taking it all in. There wasn't much chatter among kids, since there was a lot of nervousness (mostly from the parents) in the air. You immediately started building a castle with blocks, and barely noticed as I took your picture.




Parents began trickling out, and I knew we should go. Pretty much all that was left were the parents of the kids begging and crying to not stay. You—you barely noticed when I said we were going. I didn't want to embarrass you, so I just squeezed your shoulders in a quick hug (vowing to give extra kisses later) and told you to listen to your teacher and have a great day.

Walking out of that room and down the hallway, it hit me that things were changing. I know it sounds silly, but I could clearly see you waving goodbye to me from your dorm room window...
I remembered the baggie your teacher had told the parents to take, and pulled it out.


Of course, it was so very thoughtful but made me cry even more.

I decided I needed one last look in the classroom, and although I know Daddy wanted to stop me, he didn't. We walked back; all the parents had gone and the door was closed, but I peeked in and there you were, sitting at your desk, still working on that castle. :o)

We walked that same path back home, and I couldn't stop my mind from playing an endless video of you; when I first saw your tiny face, you dressed up as Superman for your first Halloween at only 12 days old, your first steps, blowing out the candles on your 1st birthday, seeing your satisfied face when you realized you communicated with us by signing 'milk' or 'more', the look on your face when you had your first sucker (on your second Halloween), watching you watch the monkeys on your first trip to the zoo, laughing at thinking I had any chance keeping you clean on your first camping trip (in which you were covered in dirt in about 20 seconds), watching you dip your toes in the sand then in the cold Pacific Coast water for the first time, telling you "Daddy will be home later" when you cried and cried after he left for work each day, watching your amazement when we told you Mommy had a baby in her belly and you were going to be a big brother, laughing at your own 'baby belly' created by stuffing your basketball under your shirt, seeing you for the first time after becoming a family of four and getting to hug and kiss you after what seemed like years apart, watching the bond between you and your sister grow everyday and being amazed that a three year age difference doesn't seem to matter when two people love each other as much as you two do, watching as you realized you could read things and didn't even know it yet, watching you create hours on end (drawing, painting, sculpting, writing), listening to you 'read' your sister your favorite books, watching you ride without training wheels for the first time, and finally watching your little backpack bobbing along as you ran along to school, excited for the possibilities and what awaited you.
Of course, more tears were shed and I checked the time, realizing it was only 1:27 and we still had two hours and three minutes to go.

When it came time to get you, I walked a little faster on that path that will become oh-so-familiar to us in the coming years. I could see you waiting in line in front of the school (at 3:27...darn, I wanted to be waiting for you), looking calm, cool and collected. But, then you spotted me, and although I couldn't hear you, I saw you pointing to me and gesturing excitedly to your teacher. That made my heart beat a little faster...maybe you did miss me, just a little?

Questions about what you did, who you met, what you learned were not met with many answers. You sang a song but didn't know what it was about, read a new book but didn't know the title, played with a new friend on recess but didn't know her name. Your sister was beckoning you to chase her back home, run and play tag and you were ready to oblige. That was more important, of course, so I figured answers would come later.

The most important answer was "Yes, I loved it! I can't wait for tomorrow!"



Here we go again... ;o)