Pirates & Mermaids Birthday Bash

This year we combined all three kids birthdays into one party - one and done!

Of course, leave it to me to make the idea of a simple party into a not-so-simple celebration.  It's kinda my thing. lol. 

I basically spent the entire week before working on the party. It was a little crazy but I love when everything comes together at the end. And I love how excited the kiddos were for the party! 

The boys were obsessed with Peg Leg (above) & Mr Bones - our new skeletons. They will be back for Halloween. 

I made the signs that we set out front with vinyl cut by my silhouette...and some wood and paint. 

Cake pops, clam cookies, mermaid treats, golden coins & nuggets, cupcakes, cookies and cake - oh my! What a tasty mermaid lagoon...

I love these little rice crispy treats! They were so easy and a perfect addition to the sweets table!

 

Cookies custom made Jennifer - they were beautiful and delicious! Plus she delivers!

Yummy cake balls made by my mom!

We created more of a Pirate theme in the kitchen. 

For food we served:

-Pirate ship hot dogs

- Golden nuggets

- Pirate Jewels (fruit)

Moving on from food...

Let's be mermaids! I made (no-sew) mermaid tails for all the little girls. They were super easy to make ...but making 25 of them did take me a bit. I plan to post a little DIY on these sometime in the near future.

Along with the mermaid tails there were crowns, necklaces, rings, and wands! All the necessities :)

And of course we can't forget about all the little pirates!

Hats, jewels, telescopes, eye patches and mustaches to complete the perfect pirate outfit. 

I really wish I would have handed this stuff out during the party! I am so bummed that I didn't get any pictures of all the kids dressed up....

The pirate ship water slide was a huge hit and this is where the kids spent most of their time!

(We ordered the ship wreck water slide from jumphouses.com) 

I made this pirate ship photo booth our of cardboard boxes. It was super cute but once again - I wish I would have gotten more pictures of the kids using it!

My little pirate mermaid!

hiding from the camera...

Singing happy birthday!

We had such a fun night and I am so thankful for all the help from Kevin and my parents. There is no way I would have gotten everything done in time if it wasn't for them :)

Can't believe these three little monkeys are all another year older! 

Ryan's First Day - Kindergarten

This sweet little boy started Kindergarten!

If you know me, you know I am all about traditions - and since starting school is new for our little family, it was the perfect opportunity to start one! After a little brainstorming I decided to go with making a school bus cake for the night before the first day of school.  I can't decide if that was the best option since my kids will probably never ride a school bus, but hey, it works. I was going to add a little more decor/design but it was too much work. Lol. Plus, I gotta leave room for improvement, right? Anyhow, each year I plan to put a picture of the kids riding in the bus along with the grade they are entering...

My "school bus" this year. As you can see, I set the bar really LOW. The good news is that the kids loved it. They thought it was amazing...but it was most likely just the Ding Dongs. Those were a big hit. #dingdongsforthewin

I was pretty excited for Ryan's first day. So much so that I may have taken a sleeping aid. Yeah. Anyhow, I slept great. And luckily, so did little R. Ryan came down around 7:15am and had yogurt and cheerios for breakfast. Surprisingly we were joined by Grayson - he typically loves to sleep so I was a little surprised that he got up - but he was pretty excited for Ryan. That was pretty cute! 

Of course we had to get pictures - and apparently Grayson didn't want to be left out of this either.

A few more and then we headed out...

And although we were running a few minutes late...we still stopped for a picture out front!

Ryan by his locker...with his massive backpack. 

His sweet teacher - Mrs. Littlefield!

Not only are these dudes in the same class but they are sitting at the same table! 

There were no tears - from this dude or myself (I know, shocker).  After drop off there was a little "Boo Hoo" breakfast for the new parents, so I popped over there and met a lot of new mommies. Although I have already forgotten most everyone's names I am excited for these new friendships and for starting this next chapter of our lives with so many sweet families. 

Love that Sheridan (our favorite sitter) decorated for this little guys return! 

Of course all day I was thinking about what Ryan might be doing...And I was so excited to pick him up and hear about how it all went down. Deep down I knew that I wouldn't get a ton of information from him...but I still held on to the small chance that I might get an amazing detailed version of the days events. 

I got the following:

- (at pickup) A BIG SMILE AND HUG and a "It took a long time for 3 o'clock to come. I mean, we had to do so many things"

- Yes, I had fun

- I love my teacher

- He was pretty thrilled with gym class

- He also started singing the phonics song

All in all, I'd say day #1 was pretty successful. He was excited to go back...so I'd say that's a win!

On Day TWO Aunt Sarah picked Ryan up at the end of the day.  Look at these sweet cousins! Love that they are at the same school! Apparently Audrey saw Ryan TWICE at school but he wasn't paying attention when she said hi. 

Hayden turns TWO!

My baby girl is TWO. 

I have complete mixed emotions on this event. On one hand it's amazing. Every day gets easier and easier. We are one day closer to unloading all of the baby crap, throwing away the sippy cups, not having to buy diapers, and actually being able to effectively communicate with all of our children AND on the other hand, I just wanna CRY. My baby is TWO!

I couldn't have dreamed up any little girl more perfect for our family!

At two she obviously doesn't fully understand what her birthday really means, but she did enjoy hearing us sing happy birthday to her and she lit up each and every time. 

We ended up getting her hair cut on her birthday - mainly because they boys desperately needed theirs cut. 

But seriously, look at that hot mess. It was time. 

Sweet little lady!

That night her cousins and Gigi came over to help celebrate! We ate spaghetti and lemon cake - yum!

Hayden @ TWO
- new words every day, but everything has a throaty accent. Very German or something....It's pretty entertaining. She definitely doesn't talk that much, but I know she understands what I say to her, she just can't communicate back.
- no fear. This girl loved the alpine slide and tubing. She loves running around and if she falls she just pops right back up. She is a tough little cookie.
- Can be really shy.
- Loves to LAUGH

Two Year Interview: Obviously Hayden didn't answer these questions herself, but I answered them based on what I think she would say if she could communicate.  I think she would be pleased with my answers.

1. What is your favorite color? Blue. Mainly because that is the only color I have ever heard her say. 
2. What is your favorite toy? Balls, Fisher Price farm & animals, anything her brothers are playing with...
3. What is your favorite fruit? Bananas and grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Mickey Mouse & Paw Patrol
5. What is you favorite thing to eat for lunch? turkey, cheese, crackers
6. What is your favorite outfit? Anything my mom dresses me in :)
7. What is your favorite game? Hide and Seek. Hayden LOVES to hide and she is actually really good at being quiet. She has hidden from me a couple of times (when we aren't even playing a game) and although I know she has to be in the house I will start to freak out because I really can't find her. When I fnally find her she has the BIGGEST grin on her face. What a toot!
8. What is your favorite snack? Hummus and Pretzels
9. What is your favorite animal? Kitten and Pigs. These are my favorite two animals to ask her about. When we read Brown Bear Brown Bear and we get to the cat page she meows and pretends to lick her paws - I have no idea where she got that from but it is ADORABLE. 
10. What is your favorite song? The Wheels on the Bus. I basically have to sing this anytime I change her diaper so she will sit still. 
11. What is your favorite book? Any kind of flap book, The Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear Brown Bear. 
12. Who is your best friend? Mommy, of course!
13. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Yogurt
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride her scooter and bubbles
15. What is your favorite drink? milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? everyday is my holiday...
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? A paci, a few blankets and a bunch of animals - bunny, lovie, lion
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? Mac n' Cheese, hot dogs, spaghetti 
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Spaghetti 
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A vet - she loves animals right now. Even Bob.