Party Time!

We celebrated Natalie's fourth birthday with a party last weekend. On Sunday she invited friends from her preschool class and from our playgroup over to The Little Gym where they all ran crazy and played for an hour and a half. There were balls, bars, beams, and a parachute.

There was pizza. (I highly recommend The Little Gym for birthday parties if you're as lazy as I am, and the idea of twelve two-through-five-year-olds running around your house gives you hives. It's much more fun having a party when you know the cake, pizza, and lemonade all over the floor will be cleaned up by someone else.)

There was Barbie ballerina cake. This was chosen because Natalie loves Barbie, and she loves ballerinas, and she also loves as much pink and purple as possible on a cake.

At home there were presents and payback. Let's just say that Natalie wasn't nearly as nice about the help she was getting from Brandon as he was when she was being so helpful with his gifts a week earlier.

And what's that? Oh, that's just Natalie's brand new Nintendo DS. You know, the one her older brother convinced her she needed for her birthday.

And now I am done with the birthday parties until December!

Four Going on Fourteen

Every year my boys get a year older, and every year I'm amazed. Kyle's birthdays sneak up on me and make me feel old. Brandon's birthdays seem to come quickly, and they make me nostalgic.

Natalie's birthdays are an entirely different experience for me. We spend the entire four months between Kyle's birthday in December and Natalie's birthday in April counting down the days and discussing presents. By the time April 19th rolls around each year we've all been heavily prepared, and everyone is ready for it.

This year was no different. On Monday Natalie turned four, and I looked at her and said, "Happy Birthday, Baby! I can't believe you're four!" What she hears is, "Wow, you're such a big girl!" What I'm really saying is, "I can't believe you're only four."

Natalie is wise beyond her years, always one step of her brothers, and she doesn't miss a thing. She listens to and absorbs everything the adults around her say, files it away in her little head, and never lets on that she's listening. In public she's reserved, shy, quiet, and afraid to put herself in unfamiliar situations. At home she loves her brothers fiercely, but she rules them like a tyrant, and they willingly do her bidding from the time they wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night. What they don't do willingly she tricks them into doing.

She is definitely mine. My mother will agree, as will my brother and sister.

My little girl turned four on Monday, and I wasn't at all surprised by it. Of course she's four. Hasn't she been four forever?

Birthday Boy

For the first time in over five years I no longer have a child under the age of two in the house. Brandon's second birthday was yesterday, and I'm pretty sure that means I can't call him a baby any longer. My baby, yes. A baby, no. Not that he's acted much like a baby over the last year. This child can hold his own with a silly, impulsive five-year-old and a bossy, wily almost-four-year-old any day.

I'm the first one to admit that I'm lazy, so Brandon's second birthday was exactly like all the other second birthdays we've celebrated around here--a few presents and cake, attended by immediate family. I don't do parties for two-year-olds. As far as a two-year-old is concerned it is a party if they see cake, presents, and singing. Some days they think it's a party if they just see a dog in the backyard next door. Or if you tell them they're having pizza for lunch. Or if Dora comes on the television. You get my drift.

Here's the cake I made:

Brandon picked out the little sugar candies shaped like Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. The red sugar sprinkles were all me.

Brandon wailed as we sang to him.

I'm not totally sure why that was since he perked right up after the singing stopped (the singing really couldn't have been that bad), and he blew out his candles like a pro.

He had an excellent time opening presents despite a large amount of help from his big sister.

And then we spent the rest of the day watching Brandon play with all of his new toys and try to keep them away from the vultures known by the names of Kyle, Natalie, and Ethan (Kyle's friend).

I really can't believe my littlest man is two. Life is easier for me now than it's ever been in my entire tenure as a mother. Now all we need to do is attempt some potty-training, and I should be home free. Hah.

Five years old!

I am now the mother of a five-year-old boy.

Yesterday was Kyle's birthday, and last night when he went to bed he declared that he didn't need a nightlight any more because he's five. He was actually insulted when I turned it on--as if he hadn't used the darn thing every single night of the last five years. That fire truck nightlight was a baby shower gift that I used even in my own bedroom when Kyle was a newborn and we shared a room at my parents' house. I couldn't stand not being able to see him when he was sleeping--whether he was sleeping in his crib, in his swing, or, most frequently, on my chest. I've spent the last several years wondering when Kyle was going to outgrow needing a nightlight, and then he springs this little surprise on me at bedtime, and I had to pretend to be excited while I hugged him and tried not to squeeze his little body into submitting to my wish that he stop growing up so quickly.

Kyle couldn't be more excited to finally be five. He's always enjoyed his birthday, but this year he's been especially anxious because he's the youngest child in his Kindergarten class, and until yesterday he'd been the only four-year-old (his emphasis) in his class for the previous eleven days. It was killing him. I don't have the heart to tell him that in just a few weeks everyone in his class will start turning six. He'll find out soon enough.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the weekend's festivities. Check them out while I go try to figure out where the last five years went.

Yeah! Bakugan!

Kyle with his buddies, Neal and Ethan

The birthday party at the Geo Centre

Happy 30th Birthday to Me!

I should never have taunted the Newark Airport the way I did. All that 'whatever' nonsense came right back around to bite me in the butt on Sunday. Sure, we got $2000 in airline vouchers, but it didn't really compensate for the hours spent in Newark and the lack of sleep because three small kids and strange hotel rooms don't mix. I think this year's birthday will end up somewhere on my '10 Worst Birthdays' list--you know, at the end of my life when I'm sitting around making stupid lists like that--just roll with the hypothetical list-making, people. I'm sure it won't be the Worst Birthday Ever. It was The Worst Birthday So Far, but I'm assuming something worse will happen at some point.

On a positive note, turning 30 really hasn't been as painful as I expected. It helps that almost everyone I know has already turned 30 and appears to have survived it. It does not help that Shaun is still 29, but his time will come in about 7 short weeks.

Oh yeah, and our vacation was awesome! I'll be following up with stories and pictures in no time. I swear. Just let me deal with these suitcases first.

Bonne fête `a toi

My favorite moment of the day yesterday was when we all ran in to wake Natalie up first thing in the morning. I went to get Kyle and Brandon out of their beds first so that we could all go in together. We all ran into Nat's room, Brandon grinning, Shaun and I shouting, "Happy Birthday, Natalie!"

Kyle ran in behind me and shouted, "Bonne fête `a toi , Natalie!" Shaun and I looked at each other, mouths open in awe. (I even had to look up that circumflex and accent just to type it, thank you very much.)

"What did he just say? Kyle, could you repeat that a little more slowly, please?" I said. "I think he's speaking French."

This, my friends, is what a little bit of expat life will do for you. My four-year-old speaks French. And I didn't even know it. Go figure.

Princesses, tea parties, little girls and birthdays

My Little Pony? Dora? Princesses? Fairies? It's a very difficult thing when you're turning three to decide what kind of birthday party to have! After much debate Natalie and I finally decided to throw a tea party for a couple of her closest little friends. We made sandwiches, cupcakes, lemonade and tea, and we invited everyone over to play with baby dolls and dress up. (Yes, I said it. I made those cupcakes all by myself. Two successful baking attempts in 8 days--it's like freaking Martha Stewart has taken up residence.)

I'm totally in love with this new princess phase we've entered--I'm thinking the princesses alone will make up for the attitude my little angel seems to have developed in the last few months--or I'm hoping it will. Anyway, Natalie decided to attend her tea party as Cinderella, and I think she was a pretty cute Cinderella, sunglasses and all.

All of Natalie's time yesterday that wasn't spent tea partying was spent playing with her brand new Cinderella's Castle, her birthday gift from her Grandma. Natalie fell in love with Cinderella's Castle when we were at Disney World, gasping in wonder every time she caught a glimpse of it from wherever we were in the park. She squealed with excitement yesterday morning when she got up out of bed, came down the stairs, and saw her very own Cinderella's Castle! She then proceeded to make Cinderella and the Prince kiss each other while standing on top of the castle, much to her daddy's horror.

Shaun: "Whoa! What was that?! Kissing?!"

Me: "Yup. That's what princesses do."

Shaun: "But where'd she learn that?!"

Me: "Have you even seen the movie Cinderella?"

Shaun: "Natalie. No. Kissing."

Have I mentioned that I love it that my husband has a daughter? It provides endless entertainment. I can't wait until she's a teenager.

My girl is growing up

Two birthdays in 8 days! Craziness! What are the chances that I might be able to talk Brandon and Natalie into sharing a birthday party one of these years? Slim, I'd imagine. If I didn't do it this year I guess it's very unlikely to happen at any time down the road. It's difficult to combine a princess party theme with any boy party theme.

Last year Natalie's second birthday was a fly-by-night affair squeezed in eight days after her baby brother was born, six days after we came home from the hospital, the day before my mom had to leave to go back to Virginia. Natalie was suffering from her first illness of any sort, she wasn't sleeping well, and she was miserable with a new baby in the house. Despite her fiercely independent streak, my girl was still so much of a baby herself at the time that she didn't understand why her mommy had a new baby.

I look at Natalie now and I can't figure out at what point during the last year my baby girl grew up, but she did. She's not a baby. She's not even a toddler. She's a preschooler now, I guess. She's my beautiful little girl.

*Another sigh--much like last week's sigh over Brandon's first birthday.*

Why didn't someone warn me that motherhood, once it begins, is a life-long exercise in letting go? Why can't I wrap these little people up in plastic wrap and preserve them just as they are right now? Okay, I say that, but, in truth, I honestly can't wait for the days where they can put on all their own clothing, go to the bathroom by themselves, and buckle their own car seats. At the same time it's so nice to have them here, safe in my protective little bubble, requiring nothing more than construction paper, glue sticks, a little Dora the Explorer, and my love to keep them happy.

Here are some pictures of my Natalie to celebrate her upcoming third birthday.

I think my favorite part is watching the curl progression!

Happy First Birthday, Baby B!

My littlest man is one year old! Brandon loved the presents, he loved the cake, he loved the wrapping paper, and he really loved having brand new toys that his brother and sister were not allowed to take from him!

We have plans for this evening, and I rarely let Brandon skip an afternoon nap (unless I'm feeling daring and wacky and decide I want to entertain Satan from 4 to 7 P.M.), so we decided to enjoy the birthday festivities this morning.

We started with presents and breakfast and followed up with cake and ice cream for our morning snack. My children demand snacks around 9:30 A.M., so I thought that sounded like a perfect time to break out Elmo. And he tasted just as good as he looked. Kyle requested Elmo's nose, but I didn't feel like carving the nose out of the center of the cake, so we just worked our way in from one side--he can eat the nose tomorrow.

Anyway, it was a lovely, laidback birthday for my little man. If I've learned one thing as a mother it's that babies do not care about their first birthdays. A cake and pictures are required for posterity so that someday when Brandon is a teenager he won't insist that I don't love him because I didn't even have a first birthday party for him, but the baby won't actually remember a thing. A little wrapping paper and a chocolate cake do, in fact, make a party.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Take that, Martha Stewart!

Oh yeah, that's Elmo. And I made him. Not bad for my very first attempt ever at an Elmo cake.


Who cares if he's a little pink instead of bright red? Natalie thinks it's cool. So what if I ran out of red food coloring? Do you know how much red food coloring it takes to make frosting red?!

Taking inventory

Ahh, how quickly a baby's first year passes. A year ago today I was packing my hospital bag, putting the infant carseat back into the car for the third time, packing overnight bags for Kyle and Natalie so they could stay overnight at a friend's house, and preparing to check myself into the hospital overnight to be induced early the next morning. I was seriously looking forward to being able to sleep on my stomach again after months of rolling around like a whale in the bed every night.

I was also panicking a little bit about what kind of disruption a new baby was going to cause in our organized little life and how Natalie was going to take her displacement from the position of 'the baby.'

I wasn't suffering from the second-time mommy uncertainty of how I was going to possibly love another baby the way I loved my first. I already knew how that worked. I was looking forward to having another little munchkin to love.

My Brandon turns one tomorrow, and I cannot believe it. It's been such a busy year--Brandon was only about a month old when we found out we were moving from Texas to Newfoundland. With each child the first year passes more quickly, and with Brandon it's seemed to fly right past us since he's been so eager to grow up.

Brandon kisses, dances and gives high fives on request. He has four teeth, making him the toothiest of all my kids at a year old. He walks--no, he runs. He doesn't drink from bottles anymore, and he's lived in two different countries. He also says Mama, Daddy, Brandon, hi, ball, book, Pooh (as in, Winnie the Pooh), uh-oh, and thank you. None of them sound much like the real word, of course, but he knows what they mean, and he's trying to say them. That's what counts, right? That's a pretty good list of accomplishments if we're taking inventory. Okay, it's impressive to me, but I'm biased.

*Sigh*

Tomorrow I'm going to be happy and excited, and I'm going to sing and wear a party hat. I'm going to take a ton of pictures of the Elmo cake I'm going to try to make in a little while. (That'll probably end up being a blog post all by itself if my culinary experiences up until now are any indication.) But today I'm going to be just a little bit sad that my baby will be one tomorrow.

Kyle's day

My Kyle turned 4 today! He had a great birthday--a Wall-E cake, presents, balloons, a party--he couldn't have asked for more!

This morning Kyle and I took a trip to the grocery store so that he could pick out ice cream for his party and goodies for his goody bags. While this sounds like torture to most of you, I guarantee you that Kyle loves nothing more than a trip to the grocery store. I think he looks at it as an opportunity to con me into bringing home all kinds of things I wouldn't normally look at twice in the store. And I totally let him get away with it. Then we came home, ate lunch, and put together goody bags for his party. He had so much fun deciding what goodies to put in the bags and sorting out who would get which bag--he's definitely my son. As a special treat for his birthday he also got to skip 'rest time.' Lucky boy.

Later this afternoon all of our best Newfoundland friends came over to hang out and help Kyle celebrate his birthday. Everyone was entirely impressed by the Wall-E cake. One of my local mom friends made it. Check out her website here: http://www.cakes-by-katherine.blogspot.com/. The kids had a good time coloring pictures of Wall-E, making robots out of marshmallows and pretzel sticks, and just playing in the playroom. After everyone went home Kyle couldn't stand ignoring the pile of presents any longer and had to tear into them. He loved everything!

Overall, it was an awesome day, and I'm pretty sure he went to bed a totally happy little boy tonight--even if he was already talking about what he thinks we should do for his 5th birthday! You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes.

If you want to see more pictures check out the link to our Shutterfly site on the right.