Baking With 6-Year-Olds

Yesterday was the Performance of Champions at Galena High School, their major fundraiser where they invite marching bands from all over the area to perform their field shows and compete. And since all the band parents were helping put on this event, I got to have a little party with the kids. What else is there to do besides let them put up the Halloween decorations randomly around the house, and bake cookies? We (or I should say I) decided on gingersnaps because that seemed like a good holiday cookie to make when it was about freezing outside! Plus I had these cool Halloween cookie cutters that cost a whole dollar, and I am totally willing to pay $1 to entertain some 6-year-olds for an hour. Anyway, on to the pictures! Here they are, ingredients at the ready:

That Ashton is such a goofball! (And I'd like to add a side note here that I love our vinyl under-tablecloth- it not only protects the wood underneath from spills, but is also super easy to clean!)
And Ellie taking a turn with the mixer (she sure was concentrating hard not to tip it!):

I meant to take pictures of the kidletts cutting out the shapes (and Auntie Alice helped too!) but my hands were sticky and I forgot. Oh well. But I did get a shot of them herding the finished hot cookies!

And a close up of some of the shapes~

Some of them didn't quite turn out, but you get the idea... Fun stuff! And tasty too. :)

Sean and Ashton's 6th Birthday (Week!)

Oh, I am way behind here! The boys have been 6 for almost a week and a half now, and I haven't posted any pictures (of which I have zillions to choose from). On Wednesday (September 17th), my parents came over to celebrate with us on their actual birthday. So this blog's going to be mostly pictures. First, dinner! They requested ravioli, which I was happy to oblige with since it was easy and I had already slaved for two nights on their chocolate devil's food triple-layer cake:

Then came cake and candles (which I am embarrassed to say that I had no little ones, so they got the jumbo variety from the china cabinet). Make a wish:

Come true yet? (Isn't that a lovely cake? :)

After dinner and cake came presents! Here are my parents and the boys (Ashton is in red, as always)-

And me with my babies and the monstrosity that is blocking my entire dining room now-

I made my dad put together their tent/house/tunnel of fun. Thanks Dad! What are grandpas for, if not for struggling with all the multiple parts and unclear instruction of children's toys?

And some cuteness from inside the tent:

It's a two-headed...tunnel?


Then came the day of their birthday party (Saturday, which I invited their entire first grade class to) at Jump Man Jump! Man, am I glad I didn't have their party at our house. I don't think I could have entertained 25 >6-year-olds for 2.5 hours, let alone the half hour it took for cupcakes and presents (yeah, I gave up on the ice-cream cone idea because it was late and I'd already spent four nights baking)!

I think next year if we have a humongous party again, we'll take the presents home and open them there, even if it is wonderful for the givers to see the joy on the receivers' faces when they are opened.

Here is Sean (who is in blue throughout all the rest of these pictures) at the top of a monstrous slide at JMJ (although they didn't blow up the biggest steepest one, and thank GOD for that- can you imagine 25 little kids screaming in terror from their deepest nightmares combined, the fear of falling and heights?) This one was perfect:

And James, the older kid at their party that Sean and Ashton almost idolize with the pool and the board shorts:

And a "proper" picture of the boys with James (Ashton?)- although he looks just like them in this picture:

Here are Sean and Ashton on the jousting feature- I have to tell you, these little ones are absolutely HILARIOUS trying to hold up a jousting pole? lance? stick? that weighs almost as much as they do; as soon as they manage to so much as tap the other person, they both fall over. One from the tap, the other from overbalancing trying to tap the other.

This is Ashton on the jump rope/dodge ball/dance floor. The game he liked most (and played more than anything else) was dodge ball. It was pretty cool- there was a light in the floor that moved around that was weight-sensitive, and the object of the game was to avoid being "hit" by the ball. He got really good at it, needless to say, by the end of their jumping time.

There was also a ball pit for the little ones: here are ?, Nathaniel and Gabe, plus their mom, Petrina- all of whom come to my Toddler Time. I am very thankful for the opportunity to meet Petrina! She is such a happy person, with wonderful boys, and has great recipes to share. I always feel good about myself after hanging out with her. :)

After the kids had exhausted themselves jumping and running like mad chickens for an hour and a half, came the sugar! Bring on the cupcakes and the singing! Here I am leading in song:

And here is little sweet Sofia, with her rosy cheeks and cute-girl locks:

After jumping and cupcakes, came present time. Of course all the children wanted to help, 'cause this is the best part!


Wow. Talk about a high-energy party! We gave Ellie a ride home (and they played with, what, a Styrfoam cup instead of one of the 800 toys they got?),

and all four of their grandparents and Alice (my girl!) came over for a dinner celebration (I don't blame them for not wanting to try to spend quality time with them at JMJ!). Here is my dad giving Ashton a birthday sack-o-potatoes ride around the living room, which I think he enjoyed as much as Ashton! :)

Entire family photo (From left to right- me and Kevin, Astrid, Alice, Ashton and Michael, Crystal, George and Sean):

Whew! Thanks for stickin' it out to the end~ there were a lot of celebrations I didn't want to miss sharing with you! See I told you! Birthday week! (Wish I had it that good...)

Feed Me!

Family camping up at Stampede last weekend with some friends when this doe meanders near our campsite lipping at some grass here and there. She didn't run away when I pointed her out to the boys, who immediately made a bee-line in her direction, so I ran and grabbed my camera.

Those two are completely mesmorized by her, you can see it in their stance- for four-year-olds, they held pretty darn still for a pretty long time.

I was more and more amazed as I watched this completely tame deer come closer and closer, while my boys inched in her direction. She had no fear of them, or me, when she heard me clicking picture after picture of her- and looked directly at me for two of these.

It's almost like watching a movie, I got so many pics- she just got closer and closer...

And for the glorifying moment, she nuzzles their fingers hoping for a morsel of food. They had nothing to offer her (not sure they even knew she wanted food from them), so she quickly wandered off after that. I must not be a very cautious mother, because it never entered my head that she had rabies or other strange wild diseases, nor did she seem like she would bite or hoof them. I think I was almost as excited as they were, and just let it happen. I'm glad I did, 'cause I think I can be a bit over protective sometimes, and I would have regretted it later had I interfered with this sweet moment. I hope they'll always remember it- almost 5, so they might.