Buckle up, this is going to be a long one

So it's been awhile. I would say life has been busy but a more appropriate word would be full. And as I've just finished my Christmas wish list (a ritual required by my in laws and one I'm slowly warming up to :) ) I figured I would do a little catch up. I want to start with a visit from Amy and Wyatt. Ahh...it was already two weeks ago and it still makes me smile to think about it. Highlights included:

a warm cozy dinner at McMennamins

pre-dinner pomegranate sea breezes

watching Ava and Wyatt create adventure together

kid free Christmas shopping (thank you Ben!)

Late night talks

pre-dinner pomegranate sea breezes (did I say that already?) :)

I feel so greedy getting to see Amy three times this year but I'm already planning another visit. We were too busy enjoying our time to take many pictures but here's a few good memories:

I'm not sure what was going on in this scenario but I'm pretty sure that's Wyatt's "motorcycle hat"

This photo makes me happy.

And then we were off to Chicago for Thanksgiving week. Here we'll start with the plane ride. I was probably being punished for giving my baby benadryl to make him sleep during the flight. Ian did pretty well. Ben held him most of the flight and he whined and complained. He probably only slept 20 minutes of the 3 1/2 hour flight. And then we were about to land and Ben gives me this look of horror.

I saw poop all over Ben's arm and coat and then it started bubbling up Ian's pants. I am not kidding. It was oozing out the top. The smell. The smell. The smell. I can't explain the feelings of terror. We were one minute from landing and I went into go mode like never before. I stripped Ian down as Ben was throwing me wipe after wipe. I had poop all over my hands, it was all over Ian's head and face. Everyone around us was looking. I was trying to get Ian cleaned up and dressed all while breaking the cardinal rule of flying. I managed to throw him to Ben and brace myself as the wheels touched down.

Then I had to apologize to everyone around us and try to clean it all up in the airport bathroom. I wish I had a picture but obviously that was impossible. Please start praying now for my 7am flight back to chicago in 2 weeks with 2 kids, BY MYSELF. I can't even think about it.

The overall trip to Chicago was delightful. I am coming to terms with the realization that our new trips to Chicago are completely different than our pre kids trips. We use to pick out restaurants and visit friends and see movies. Now we babysit and plan everything around naps and sleep in separate bedrooms. (Ben's highlight) :) We were there for 6 days and left the house about 4 times. I did get some time with my friend Jenny and had a great haircut but these are Ava and Ian's memories now. I decided to hire our first babysitter this weekend to steal some time away with Ben. We have to make our own vacations wherever we can get them.

hot chocolate breakfast with Nai Nai

an official meeting of the council of the cousins

Amarie turns one!

And now we're off to decorate the Christmas tree. I'll try to post again before Christmas but no promises. :)

Super Ava to the rescue!

If anyone needs a belly baring princess to come and help them out just let me know and I'll hook you up. Ava's super-tia made her this cape to replace the couch throw that she made me tie around her neck everyday. She's a pretty lucky girl.

Birthday extravaganza!

Here's some photos from Ava's party. I think the kids had a good time and for a few it was their first birthday party. Ava had all her best friends here and they got along really well. Luckily the boys were able to stick together because the girls ransacked Ava's dress up box within 5 minutes of arriving. Even her princess pajamas were fair game.

Jaime reading her new book and Ava annoyed that I'm interrupting

Ian got an ABC book from his Tia

Ava blowing out her candles

Grant giving the princess pinata his best efforts

But in the end it was Miriam who gave the final blow

The Bounty

This was a mummy game I made up. It did not go well. The paper kept ripping and two kids ended up in tears from the confusion and attention of being wrapped in toilet paper.

Hannah the mermaid

Miriam the princess

Ava received a bounce castle from Ben's parents and it was a big hit at the party

And for my friends who want details on the menu, we served BBQ pulled pork in a crockpot, chips, and broccoli salad for the adults. The kids got pizza rolls, pirates booty, grapes, carrot sticks, goldfish crackers and an extreme sugar high.

As Ben was tucking Ava into bed that night he asked her what her favorite part of the party was. First she said it was the gumdrops on her cake. Then she said she liked the presents and the castle cake and having her friends over to play. Finally she told him that she did not like mama's mummy game. "Why not?," Ben asked. "Because it was wasteful and inappropriate."

I have spent two years drilling into her that you are only supposed to use a certain amount of toilet paper because it comes from trees and then I pull out three rolls and have them wrap each other in it. You live and learn. :)

Parties are a lot of work but at the end of the day you really feel like you've given a gift to your child with the experience and the memories. It's a good thing they only have birthday's once a year because it might take me that long to recover.

This side of crazy...

"Have you lost your mind?!" Why yes I have, thank you for asking. It all started when I saw this cute idea for fairy wand cookies in a may issue of family fun magazine. It looked super easy and so cute and Ava loves fairy wands. So I thought I would just whip them up the night before her birthday and she could pass them out to her class at the women's bible study I go to. I don't even remember how late I stayed up but I did get an, "oh my gosh mommy, those are the most beautifullest cookies I ever saw!" So I figured it was worth it. Unfortunately for Ben, he made the comment, "you know she would have been just as happy with chips ahoy cookies." Yeah, he's been in the doghouse awhile for that one. Here's my happy helper in the kitchen

It probably wouldn't have been that much work if I hadn't decided to make the sugar cookie dough from scratch and wrap them individually with ribbon attached, but there it is.

As if this incident wasn't enough to send me straight to a psych evaluation, I attempted to make Ava a castle cake for her party on Saturday. Again, I saw a cute picture and it looked so easy. And then I decided to make my own fondant, out of marshmallows. There were sugar cones and cake cones and multiple pans and sprinkles, and an 11pm meltdown involving flags. But with the help of my sister and the calming effects of advil pm, I made it through. It was a beautiful cake but my goal this year is to get Ava involved with sports. A ball cake seems much more manageable.

My poor sister's hands were bleeding from rolling out the fondant

I had to keep reminding Ben that it could have been much worse. My cousins wife posted 600 pictures of their daughter's third birthday party. It was mickey mouse themed and I'm pretty sure the insanity of that party was unprecedented. I'll only mention that they redecorated three rooms in preparation for the party (think, mickey mouse toothbrush holders), she embroidered matching polo shirts for every family member, and there were flower beds planted in the front yard in the shape of mickey mouse. I believe I kept the crazy to a minimum.

1,2,3,4!

See this little girl...

The one who wears heels for breakfast...

And prays every night that God would give her wings to fly "real"

She turned 4 this week
And then she got on her new bike and rode off to college :(

Here's a real conversation we had today:

Ava: I am not a baby anymore mama. God turned me 4 now. (said matter of factly with her hands on her hips)

Me: (Pretending to cry)

Ava: It's ok mama. You don't have to be sad. When I go away and leave you, you can give money to my teachers to come with me. I'll take you to see my friends and I'll always be your baby.

Me: (Still pretending to cry but this time almost crying for real)

Ava: Ok mama, here's the deao (deal), let's pray to Jesus that you won't be sad anymore. Ok, how's that?! (Bowing her head and taking my hand) "Dear Jesus, please don't make mommy sad anymore and take care of her when I have to yeave. Help her know that I will always love her and she is a beautiful, sparkly, disneyland, mommy. And byess this food to our bodies. Amen"

Me:( Crying for real)

my mornings just got a whole lot more interesting

Have your fun now little man because next week you'll be moving to a gated community.