8 hours of driving around Columbia running errands, grocery shopping, picking up cakes, petit fours, and coffee cakes, flower purchasing, and loading/unloading party supplies in and out of the van.
4 hours rolling, baking, decorating, wrapping sugar cookies.
2 hours printing invitations, stickers, bubble stickers, and stuffing goody bags.
3 hours printing out letters, cutting out templates, tracing and cutting out letters, punching holes, stringing letters into a banner to commemorate the special day of September 21. (Thanks Kathy!)
30 minutes running and scrambling to set up a beautiful party at the marionette theater in honor of my daughter turning five years old.
2 hours wrapping gifts in the perfect pink wrapping paper with the perfect pink and green ribbons.
2 hours assembling The Bike.
Endless hours spent planning, list making, organizing, and delegating.
The look on Anna's face when she saw her birthday come to life:
Priceless
The sound of her sweet voice looking up to me saying 'mommy, this is the best birthday ever':
The sweetest sound in the world.
Pictures to follow.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What I've been up to...
I wanted to take a picture of the utter chaos our house is in this week as we count down to Anna's birthday and Jack's baptism - but the truth is I can't find the camera! (I think I know where it is - but haven't had the time to unearth it from the pile of party planning supplies currently residing on my dining room table.)
So rather than show you a picture, I'll give you a list of what I've been up to these past few days/week. As a side note, I must confess I'm a list maker. There is something so satisfying about having a long list of stuff to do - and then crossing them off one-by-one ...
Print 40 goody-bag labels for Anna's Snow White party and stick on goody-bags. Check
Stuff said goody-bags with coloring books, crayons, stickers, bubbles, and candy. Make pretty and froo-froo-ey with lots of red, blue, and yellow tissue paper (the color of Snow White's dress, of course). Check
Prepare papers for the kids to color in their 'create your own mug' activity.
Gather craft activities, markers, crayons, stickers, and colored pencils and pack for puppet theatre. Check
Gather and pack tablecloth, napkins, plates, and forks for party. Check
Gather and pack cake stand, cake knife, and matches for party.
Print labels for the inside of Snow White books (to give as favors for the siblings that inevitably will show up who did not RSVP.)
Make double batch of sugar cookie dough. Check
Take Anna to her first soccer practice today at 5:30.
Roll and bake sugar cookie "pops" in the shape of apples.
Finish sewing dress and jon-jon for Anna and James to wear on Sunday (buttons on both and hemming the dresss.)
Wash guest bedroom linens and towels.
Re-clean guest bathroom, sweep up those dust bunnies that can't seem to stay away from our house, dust, and vacuum.
Decorate apple sugar cookies, wrap in cellophane bags, tie with red grosgrain ribbons.
Pick up dress to wear for Jack's baptism (because currently there is NOTHING in my closet that fits that is appropriate for church - yeah, it's time to go back to Weight Watchers and stop avoiding the inevitable...)
Hair appointment Friday.
Pick up Snow White cake on Friday.
Pick up dress socks for James on Friday.
Grocery store for brunch groceries, birthday party treats/beverages, and house guests.
Wholesale florist for flowers for the baptism (and make arrangements - probably on Saturday.)
Liquor store for vodka (brunch bloody mary's) and champagne (brunch mimosas) - i.e. a little mommy juice to make it through the morning... ha!
Attend Jacob's birthday party Friday night at Country Adventures.
Pick up styrofoam blocks to hold the cookie-pops up in baskets - then assemble to take to puppet theatre.
That gets me through Friday ...
I can't think about Saturday right now.
So rather than show you a picture, I'll give you a list of what I've been up to these past few days/week. As a side note, I must confess I'm a list maker. There is something so satisfying about having a long list of stuff to do - and then crossing them off one-by-one ...
Print 40 goody-bag labels for Anna's Snow White party and stick on goody-bags. Check
Stuff said goody-bags with coloring books, crayons, stickers, bubbles, and candy. Make pretty and froo-froo-ey with lots of red, blue, and yellow tissue paper (the color of Snow White's dress, of course). Check
Prepare papers for the kids to color in their 'create your own mug' activity.
Gather craft activities, markers, crayons, stickers, and colored pencils and pack for puppet theatre. Check
Gather and pack tablecloth, napkins, plates, and forks for party. Check
Gather and pack cake stand, cake knife, and matches for party.
Print labels for the inside of Snow White books (to give as favors for the siblings that inevitably will show up who did not RSVP.)
Make double batch of sugar cookie dough. Check
Take Anna to her first soccer practice today at 5:30.
Roll and bake sugar cookie "pops" in the shape of apples.
Finish sewing dress and jon-jon for Anna and James to wear on Sunday (buttons on both and hemming the dresss.)
Wash guest bedroom linens and towels.
Re-clean guest bathroom, sweep up those dust bunnies that can't seem to stay away from our house, dust, and vacuum.
Decorate apple sugar cookies, wrap in cellophane bags, tie with red grosgrain ribbons.
Pick up dress to wear for Jack's baptism (because currently there is NOTHING in my closet that fits that is appropriate for church - yeah, it's time to go back to Weight Watchers and stop avoiding the inevitable...)
Hair appointment Friday.
Pick up Snow White cake on Friday.
Pick up dress socks for James on Friday.
Grocery store for brunch groceries, birthday party treats/beverages, and house guests.
Wholesale florist for flowers for the baptism (and make arrangements - probably on Saturday.)
Liquor store for vodka (brunch bloody mary's) and champagne (brunch mimosas) - i.e. a little mommy juice to make it through the morning... ha!
Attend Jacob's birthday party Friday night at Country Adventures.
Pick up styrofoam blocks to hold the cookie-pops up in baskets - then assemble to take to puppet theatre.
That gets me through Friday ...
I can't think about Saturday right now.
Monday, September 7, 2009
My Little Gamecocks
All set for College Gameday on Thursday (the big kick-off game of the season.)
Thankfully, the Gamecocks won!
(you're right Kathy - kids with no flash = blurry pictures!) Oh well, I'll keep trying!!!Wagons and Stroller Rides
What do you do with a 2 1/2 year old who is desperately bored and wanting to get out of the house but can't (isn't supposed to) run around, an almost-5 year old who is picking on her little brother (and having a hard time understanding the concept of sympathy) and a 4 month old who is happy as a clam but not able to do much (as in can't sit up by himself yet?)
The answer? Pack up the kids, a stroller, and a red wagon and take them on a walk.
We're very fortunate that we live so close to the USC Horseshoe (the original historic buildings of the University of South Carolina, arranged around a large green space in the shape of - what else - a horseshoe.)
James really wanted to get out of the wagon and run - and as you can see from the expression on his face, he wasn't too happy to watch Anna take off, skipping in glee, but he was happy nonetheless to be out of the house.
Jack, happy Jack, couldn't care less where you have him, as long as his belly is full, his diaper is dry, and the stroller is moving so he can watch the leaves overhead.
Anna, well, she was ecstatic to be a 'superstar' and take loads and loads of pictures. This is just a sampling of all she posed for.
And here you can see the utter disdain on her face as I was telling her we needed to go find the boys (we'd ducked into Rutledge Chapel to try to take some natural light pictures by the window.) "But Mommy! I need another picture taken!!!" Gotta love that one...
Peg Leg James
I had intended to try to get some good pictures of the kids this weekend and try out some photography tips...
These aren't the pictures I had hoped to get...
It isn't as bad as at looks, really, because James has learned how to hobble around on his little green peg-leg. He started with scooting around on his behind with his leg waving around in front of him like a flag - then tentatively started putting weight on it - and now, now?? Now we have to tell him to not run around as he runs with his left leg and swings his right one around.
Oh the fun of rambunctious little boys!
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Swine Flu Cometh...
Yep, it's hit our house - and hit it hard. Both James and Jack have 'suspected' cases of the now infamous swine flu. James came down with a good fever last night - Jack followed suit this morning with a low grade fever, both with runny noses.
A trip to the pediatrician and a nose swab later reflected that the test was negative. Yes, you read that right, negative. That should be good news, right?
Wrong. Apparently the test is only 50% accurate - so there is a 50% chance we received a false negative. The MD says the treatment is the same, clear fluids, lots of rest, and motrin/tylenol to manage the fever.
The good news is that the high number of cases he has seen grace his doors the past few weeks are very mild - as in just a few days of low grade fevers and sore throats - and then the kids perk up and feel better.
I sure hope so. It's pitiful to see them droopy (James more so than Jack...)
However... on one hand, it is good that James isn't feeling so well and wants to just lay around for a while.
Yesterday morning when Deonne was trying to get the three kids out the door to school (D does the school drop off as I leave the house closer to 7am so I can get to work early then leave early to pick the kids up around 4pm) James fell in the gravel to the side of our driveway.
He had a pretty good contusion on his right knee - scrapes and some bruising and swelling - but after Deonne cleaned him up he seemed happy. He took him on to school where he had a good day, only mentioning his knee once - after nap when he was getting up from his little cot.
Fast forward to the evening - D picked up take-out - since it was the big first Carolina football game on TV - and we wanted to have a pseudo-tailgate with the kids. About half way through dinner, James started acting really whiny - not wanting to be put down - just whining. And not wanting to put weight on his leg with the sore knee. We thought he was just faking it - trying to get attention. (Yeah - we get the parents of the year award ...)
He got worse as the night went on - we finally realized he had a fever around 4am this morning.
The trip to the ped. to discuss flu ended up being more of a discussion about his knee - our MD was much more concerned about that then the mild case of flu. An x-ray and trip to an orthopedist resulted in our baby boy being casted on his right leg from hip to toe in a bright lime green cast for a fractured knee cap.
It's pitiful.
Yes, I did take pictures - but can't find the cable to connect the camera to the computer - as soon as I do I'll upload them, and you can see my sweet little one in all his glory.
A trip to the pediatrician and a nose swab later reflected that the test was negative. Yes, you read that right, negative. That should be good news, right?
Wrong. Apparently the test is only 50% accurate - so there is a 50% chance we received a false negative. The MD says the treatment is the same, clear fluids, lots of rest, and motrin/tylenol to manage the fever.
The good news is that the high number of cases he has seen grace his doors the past few weeks are very mild - as in just a few days of low grade fevers and sore throats - and then the kids perk up and feel better.
I sure hope so. It's pitiful to see them droopy (James more so than Jack...)
However... on one hand, it is good that James isn't feeling so well and wants to just lay around for a while.
Yesterday morning when Deonne was trying to get the three kids out the door to school (D does the school drop off as I leave the house closer to 7am so I can get to work early then leave early to pick the kids up around 4pm) James fell in the gravel to the side of our driveway.
He had a pretty good contusion on his right knee - scrapes and some bruising and swelling - but after Deonne cleaned him up he seemed happy. He took him on to school where he had a good day, only mentioning his knee once - after nap when he was getting up from his little cot.
Fast forward to the evening - D picked up take-out - since it was the big first Carolina football game on TV - and we wanted to have a pseudo-tailgate with the kids. About half way through dinner, James started acting really whiny - not wanting to be put down - just whining. And not wanting to put weight on his leg with the sore knee. We thought he was just faking it - trying to get attention. (Yeah - we get the parents of the year award ...)
He got worse as the night went on - we finally realized he had a fever around 4am this morning.
The trip to the ped. to discuss flu ended up being more of a discussion about his knee - our MD was much more concerned about that then the mild case of flu. An x-ray and trip to an orthopedist resulted in our baby boy being casted on his right leg from hip to toe in a bright lime green cast for a fractured knee cap.
It's pitiful.
Yes, I did take pictures - but can't find the cable to connect the camera to the computer - as soon as I do I'll upload them, and you can see my sweet little one in all his glory.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
No Buddy
One of my best friends in high school (okay, my bff) and her family had a little toy poodle. Actually, truth be told, it was her mom's toy poodle, and honestly, toy poodle is a bit of a stretch. The reality is he was this little scruffy, and sometimes mangy looking dog, who was sweet as could be - but not the best behaved animal.
As a result, D and her family (and myself included - because I felt like just another member of her family when I was at her house) used to try to discipline that little dog (whose name was Buddy.) "No Buddy - don't chew on the table." "No Buddy - don't jump on the couch." "No Buddy - insert behavior here." As a result, we joked that Buddy thought is name was "Nobody."
I wonder sometimes if my kids think their names are "NoJames" and "NoAnna." It seems like I'm forever telling them "no" "stop that" "don't do that" and "quit that." I know it's a natural part of parenting, teaching them right from wrong, I just wonder sometimes what the threshold is between parenting and letting kids be kids.
I suppose it should be when danger is involved - as in, don't jump from couch to ottoman to love seat (a.k.a. couch-diving in the Long house) because you are dangerously close to the brick hearth on the fireplace. Or, don't run around with newly sharpened colored pencils in your hand, because if you trip on one of the fourteen-thousand toys scattered throughout the house, you'll impale yourself.
I want the kids to grow up having fun, doing silly things, playing and giggling all the while. I also want them to grow up to be respectful, mindful, and - yes - obedient to those in charge. As Deonne told me long ago, before we ever had kids, 'my kids may not like me - but they'll respect me - and we can be friends later in life when they're grown up.'
I agree - but struggle at times to find the balance between being a good parent and a great one.
As a result, D and her family (and myself included - because I felt like just another member of her family when I was at her house) used to try to discipline that little dog (whose name was Buddy.) "No Buddy - don't chew on the table." "No Buddy - don't jump on the couch." "No Buddy - insert behavior here." As a result, we joked that Buddy thought is name was "Nobody."
I wonder sometimes if my kids think their names are "NoJames" and "NoAnna." It seems like I'm forever telling them "no" "stop that" "don't do that" and "quit that." I know it's a natural part of parenting, teaching them right from wrong, I just wonder sometimes what the threshold is between parenting and letting kids be kids.
I suppose it should be when danger is involved - as in, don't jump from couch to ottoman to love seat (a.k.a. couch-diving in the Long house) because you are dangerously close to the brick hearth on the fireplace. Or, don't run around with newly sharpened colored pencils in your hand, because if you trip on one of the fourteen-thousand toys scattered throughout the house, you'll impale yourself.
I want the kids to grow up having fun, doing silly things, playing and giggling all the while. I also want them to grow up to be respectful, mindful, and - yes - obedient to those in charge. As Deonne told me long ago, before we ever had kids, 'my kids may not like me - but they'll respect me - and we can be friends later in life when they're grown up.'
I agree - but struggle at times to find the balance between being a good parent and a great one.
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