Birthday boy

Happy birthday to this Aggie-crazed man who makes me laugh every single day!

Birthday dinner at the "meat" restaurant {aka, Texas Roadhouse} with the broskies. {Pearl is still in Logan at art camp}

Lucky me to benefit from Jeff's awesome colleague, Sandy, who makes him a pumpkin spice cake every year for his birthday. Seriously. This woman makes the best cake I've ever had. 

 

Art Party

Pearl turned 7 this year.

She wanted a bike. Check.

She didn't know she wanted a fish. Check.

She wanted an art party with "just a few friends... please, please, please, Mom?" Check. {At the expense of her mother's checkbook and sleep.}

But I must say, thanks to Pinterest and a late-night run to Walmart sans children, I think I threw a pretty awesome art party. We had some awesome, art-themed decorations. I wrapped old paint cans in brightly colored construction paper, used every Mason jar I could find to hold paint brushes and colored pencils, and took advantage of our chalkboard to add to the art studio feel.

I found these super cheap stained-glass thingys that the kids could paint {why can't I remember the name of these things!?}. It was so much fun! And the kids did such a good job painting.

Up next. Making candy necklaces. I didn't think the kids would find these as fun as they did, so note to self, buy more candy for the next art party.

Then we made rice krispie treat paintbrushes. Super easy. Super delicious. Super artsy. Just stick a craft stick in the end of a rice krispie treat {pre-packaged of course} and dip in colored chocolates. Or as we discovered, melted Reese's peanut butter chips. I may have made a few of these for myself. Yum.

Then it was snacks. In rainbow colors of course. Presents.  And Texas cake and ice cream. Pearl loves Texas cake, which helps me out because you can write anything on a Texas cake to match your party's theme. Or in this case, make a pathetic attempt at using M&Ms to outline an artist's paint pallet.

I had a lot of fun planning Pearl's party, even if I was totally exhausted after all the late night baking, shopping trips, decorating prep, etc. Oh and the after party-party with cousin Ruby at the splash pad.

I loved the art and rainbow theme and it was so easy to find stuff to make and do. I sure hope she looks back on this when she's 17 and tells me I'm the meanest mom ever and that I never let her do anything fun! Because I have proof I'm the COOLEST mom ever!

{Left to right: JJ, Sammy, Audrey, Pearl, Gabby, Ruby, Kali, Lucy, and Sally}

Totally Awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party

The only thing Cole wanted for his 4th birthday was a bike.

And the most epic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle party ever.

No pressure. No pressure at all.

So we got the boy a bike. A ninja turtle green bike... wrapped in whatever non-Christmas wrapping paper I could find in the basement. Nice. {And helmet of course}

And had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bowling and pizza party {after all ninja turtles love pizza}. Boom. He wasn't nearly as excited about the bowling as I was. I mean, what's more exciting than chasing eight kids around the town's oldest bowling alley? Which did work out in our favor because the place was empty.

 

Ninja turtle birthday cake of course. Someone show Cole this pictures when he's 17 and thinks I never did anything fun for him.

Cole must talk about ninja turtles A LOT at school because every single present was a ninja turtle something or other... costumes, weapons, figures, lunch box, bank, blanket, clothes, you name it, it was screaming cowabunga dude!

I can't believe all of these babies are four! Shouldn't they all still be in Ms. Nora's infant class together? Cole, Gio, and Iris have been in daycare together since they were three months old! From left to right, Gio, Trevin, Damien, Cole, and Iris. Missing: Pearl, Gabby, Parker, Sasha, and Gemma. Oh and Grandpa & Grandma Jewkes, Grandpa & Grandma Spring, and Jeff and I.

Trevin or "T" as Jeff calls him was so excited to come to the party. He's our funny little neighbor kid who asks his mom almost daily if he can come over to Jeff and Jenny's house.

After bowling, we had our families come over for pizza, salad, and lime rickeys. It was a full day of birthday party-ing fun!

And I am totally, totally exhausted!!! These birthdays are killing me!