Hallowen 2012

Let me start by apologizing for the poor photo quality.  I had the camera on the wrong setting, and you know, even though I have a book, I do not know how to use the anything but the auto setting on the camera.

Back at the end of August, B and Charley went with me to PB kids and picked out their costumes.  B picked a peacock and Charley picked a blue and white fairy princess.  Let me tell you, never again will I let them pick so early.  Because neither of them wore the costumes we bought.  Around a month ago, B started making noise about how she was going to make a griffin costume.  Her plan was (I think) to use her dino tail, her wings and a construction paper mask.  I held out hope that she would change her mind and wear the peacock.  Well, two Sundays before Halloween, we all went to Joann's (poor Mike, he got paler every minute that he spent in that store) and picked out the stuff to make the costume.  Mike did find a mask on Etsy, and ordered it.  I put together a couple patterns, drew up a plan and started working.   I finished it on time (though I had to run back to Joann's twice to get more stuff for the wings).  No one knew what she was, but the costume still turned out pretty well if I say so myself.  Charley was a princess, she just didn't wear the blue and white dress. She wore the dress of the week.

I should also mention that both kids were kind of sick the morning of Halloween.  Tired, runny nose and slightly warm.  A little Motrin and they were on their way.  (You know I am paying for it now, they were home for the last two days - now feeling better and bickering because they are bored.)

 

I cannot believe Chatch didn't wear a crown.  She wears one

to school like it is a headband.

I got the girls to school, let Cha Cha's teachers know I was upstairs if she melted, and helped out in B's room making a cute cookie craft with a fudge stripe cookie, a chocolate kiss and some orange frosting.   Around 9:30, Charley came parading through B's class (and I was very thankful she didn't see me).

Have I said how happy I am they love each other?

B's class.

B passing out goody bags.

Which looked like this:

B eating a snack.  Doesn't she look tired?

The girls made it though the day.  Mike and I debated going to the Halloween party that night.  I knew the kids were great, but I hated for them to miss the fun.  So I handed Charley her crown and off we went.  Oh wait, do you see the wand?  The top has a glow stick in it.   I got the idea from
ikatbag.

Lots of kids in cute costumes.

Our beloved James Street neighbors went as the crew form the Voice. Seriously, they have the best costumes each year.  Last year Marci was Flo form Progressive and Markus was Mayhem from the Allstate commercials.

It was a good Halloween.   I unfortunately (for the kids) did not decorate like I used to.  How is it now that I have kids, I don't decorate?  I will get on it next year.  I need to start planning earlier.  I think with B's party I get burned out.  We did make a Halloween house - that still isn't finished.  Where does the time go?

B's Actual 6th Birthday Day

I would like to tell you I took a ton of photos on this special day.  But I didn't.  My SD card went bad.  Weird huh?  Here is the first two hours, then nothing.  The highlights of later?  Grandpa and Pat came to celebrate with us.  We hit sushi dinner first, with a follow-up to the All Chocolate Kitchen.  Where Grandpa got B an birthday eclair complete with raspberry sauce and whipped cream.  B had a great day.

 

B took treats to school.  This is what she wanted, rice krispies that I doctored with M&Ms and sprinkles.

I cannot believe B is 6!  Selfish moment - when did I get six years older?   Want to see a picture of B as a baby?

She was a prosperous little baby.  Highly addicted to the milky.   Now? Addicted to cinnamon honey waffles.  What else to remember about B?  Loves kindergarten.  Reading and writing.  Awesome memory.  Very good with her little sister (most of the time).  Wakes up with incredible bed head.  Going to park district soccer and tennis.  Swimming very well.  Likes pink and purple. Wearing dress and sparkly shoes. Social, polite and a bit bossy.  Oh, and she thinks she is 36, not 6.

B's 6th Birthday Bash

So I have a party rep to maintain, right?  Or not.  I don't know if Shadow sucked all the life out of me this summer, but I just couldn't gear up for B's party.  Around June, I got the idea to have a Wipeout party - like the ABC show where everyone ends up in muddy water.  But I struggled with when to throw the party.  October seemed a bit late and undependable to do anything with water.  Mid September was an option, but I if I invited kids from B's class, it might not have left enough time to issue the invite.  Then, as luck would have it, I kind of screwed myself by inaction.  If we were going to really Wipeout it up, I had to make stuff and really plan.  Sooooo..........  I thought I would make it easier and rent a blow-up slide - something I could wet or dry.  And then I saw it.

Yes, that would make my life easier.  I added in a snow cone, cotton candy and popcorn machine.  Lemonade and water.  A hot pink dinosaur theme (egads!) from the birthday girl, a simple invite (The photo above with the pertinent info) a date that Lee could come and we were set to go!  (OK, I did have adult food, and beer and a secret plan for chili afterward with Marci's margaritas.)  Oh, oh oh, I did have help the day of the event.  Jordan came and surprised B.  She, Jeana and Lee and Dick  brought the cake and helped with all the fun food.  And my friend Beth came and took pictures and wrangled kids OUT of the house.   I know my friend Robin did stuff too, I just can't remember right now! 

 

Hot Pink and Dinos, and B had a dragon shirt.   That's my girl with the varied interests.

I ordered this dinosaur from Amazon.  My plan was to put it on the cake table.  Do I need to read the description just a little bit better or what?  I opened the box, and it kept unfolding, and unfolding and my lungs started to hurt just looking at it.  I handed it to Mike and asked if he could use the compressor to inflate it. That is Larkin. 

B had a very specific description for her cake (down to the pink lava and the color of the dinosaurs).  She told Lee who had her friend draw up the cutest card.  Lee then took the card to the cake place and they reproduced it.  Lee hated the cake.  It was supposed to be a sheet cake with a smaller volcano.  B LOVED it.  Lee also hated trying to cut the cake.  Let this be a warning.  Volcano shaped cakes = hard to cut.

This little one had fun too.  It was a little hard to convince her it wasn't her birthday too.  Charley already thinks she is 5........

As my sister would say, B was in hog heaven.

 I thought the jumpy thing would be the main attraction.  Yeah, sugar was the main thing. 

 

A lot of kids went home blue.  

B was pretty good letting Charley share in all the festivities. She even let her help with the candles.  This is a funny story I want to remember - as soon as I lit the candles, B needed a potty break.  Yeah, we blew them out and re-lit them when she came back.

Notice B's blue mouth.

There's me in the background.  Very hard to pick pictures when I know that I don't want to be in any and my sister doesn't want to be in any.

Afterward everyone went home, we had some of Mike's chili and Marci's margaritas.  Dorota braved the party even though she was having neck surgery the next day.  Cathie P. came even though she babysat her grandkids all weekend.  (I have a picture of Cathie P., but I bet, she like me and my sister, really don't want our photo on the blog.)

After we ate something, B opened her presents.

Torin got B a bat house. She had trouble opening the box, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out arrowheads.  Good, prepared friends are hard to come by.

B even let Charley help out.

Despite the fact that we asked kids to bring donations to H.E.L.P.  (Homes for Endangered and Lost Pets - where we adopted Scoopsy Baby, the cat) instead of gifts, some of her friends brought gifts and some brought both gifts and donations. 

We had an awesome day for a birthday bash.  The weather was perfect, there were tons of people (like so many) and most importantly, my almost 6 year old had a great time.