I'm Going To Be, Um, Well, A Year Older

My birthday is in a couple of weeks.  I am going to be 39.  I seriously can not wrap my mind around that number.  Not because I am closing in on 40, but because I seriously do not feel that old.  Not that 39 is old.  I am just wondering why the years seem to be going by so much faster.  When I was in high school, time seemed to drag.  I couldn't wait to graduate, yet it seemed to take forever for that day to come. 

That day was 21 years ago. 

Now that I'm a mom, I like to focus on the kids' birthdays, and not mine.  We'll probably go out to eat, and have cake, but that's about it.  It's not like I am going to send out luau themed invitations.   Maybe next year, for the big 4-0, I'll have a party.  This year, I am going to let it slip on by quietly. 

But, that doesn't mean I don't want presents.  I love presents.  There are a couple of books I want, and I really need some silicone tipped tongs.  Oh, and you can never go wrong buying me an elephant.  I love those!

Cottages

 For my mom's birthday last May, my sister's and I surprised her with a trip to Tennessee.  The four of us, and one of my aunts, paid to rent a little cottage for a long weekend.  It was the first time I have ever stayed in a house like that, and it was so much better than staying in a hotel.  We had full run of the place, using the kitchen to cook all our meals, and the kids had plenty of room to run around and play, without us parents worrying about how much noise they were making. 

One night, one of my sisters and I scared the snot out of my other two sisters and my aunt.  They were sitting on the front porch, and it was close to midnight.  My other sister and I sneaked around from the back of the house and made some scary noises.  They all jumped up screaming and ran in the house.  It was so funny.

I would love to be able to get all of my sisters to rent a holiday cottage this coming year so that we can all be together again.   Two of my sisters live pretty far away, and I usually only get to see them once a year.  I would love for us all to spend a weekend together, especially around the holidays. 

I guess that means I need to start saving my pennies.

Sliding

Yesterday the girls and I went to my nephew's birthday party at one of those inflatable places.  They had slides, an obstacle course, bounce house, bounce house with basketball, a climbing wall, and my personal favorite, air hockey.  Kasi and I played three games, and I killed here every time.  The funny thing was, most of the goals I scored were helped along by her.  She kept scoring on herself...it was pretty funny.  Brandi had a ball on all the inflatables.  I got her mid-slide in the picture.  They let the kids play for over and hour, which was nice.  Brandi tried the rock wall several times, but never got more than a couple of feet off the ground.  Even when my mom and I took turns giving her a boost, she couldn't do it.  I actually have video...I'll see if I can get it to upload.  All in all, it was a great day to be a kid yesterday!

Celebrating A Little Early

Since I am going to be out of town Friday, which is Kasi's 13th birthday, we celebrated a little early.  She has been hinting around that she wanted a cookie cake, so yesterday we got her one.  The picture doesn't do it justice...it really was a very pretty purple (which is her favorite color), but for some reason, purple never photographs well.  The important thing was that she loved it, and she enjoyed eating it.  Junior has some other special things planned for her on Friday, so I know she will have a great birthday even if I'm not here.

Happy Birthday Colleen!

My mom made this cake for my sister's 30th birthday. I did take pictures of her blowing out the candles, but I was threatened about posting them. I think my mom did an excellent job! She also made a chocolate cake for the guys (Junior and my brother-in-law Mike) birthdays. The picture I took of that was completely blurred, and I don't know why. But trust me when I say it was delicious!

Decorating Junior's Birthday Cake

The girls and I baked a cake for Junior's birthday last Sunday. I know it's weird that a grown man's cake is pink, but his favorite cake is strawberry, so it is what it is. Brandi wrote on the cake...I'm not too sure why Kasi didn't help...and it came out great. It was delicious, too, or so I was told. I don't like strawberry cake, so I didn't have any myself. It's Tuesday, though, and there is only one small piece left, so I guess it was pretty yummy...

The Sun Is Shining!

Yesterday was a beautiful day! The sun was shining, the kids were happy to be out of school, and they played outside for most of the morning. I love living where we do now, because they are excited about getting out in the fresh air every day. There are tons of kids around, and Ryan especially is having fun playing football and basketball with the neighborhood kids.

Today is supposed to be just as nice as yesterday. We are heading to my dad's in a little while to celebrate all the march birthdays...there are a lot in my family...and the kids are looking forward to fishing for the first time this year.

It's going to be a great day!

My Birthday Brownies

It seems like I have been posting about my birthday for weeks, but I just have to share one more food picture with you. My mom made these brownies to go along with the crumb cake she made. They had peanut butter in them, as well as two different types of nuts.

I love that my mom made me all the things I love for my birthday. I am one lucky girl.

My First Birthday Cake

Every year, my dad's wife makes me an elephant cake for my birthday. This year was no exception. Underneath this cute little guy was devil's food cake, my favorite. It was yummy. Thanks again Elaine!

Pampering Myself A Little

Today is my birthday.

I had a wonderful day full of family and love. My kids made me wonderful cards, and gave me lots of hugs and kisses. I tell you, I love the homemade stuff. I am going to get some pictures of all of it tomorrow. It's kind of late right now, and I just don't have the energy.

Last year on my birthday, my sister came over and put highlights in my hair. I haven't done anything since, so I think it is time to do it again. Only this time, I think I want to pamper myself and have it done at the colony salon. I also want to get a pedicure, which I have never done before. I wonder if I can have both done simultaneously?

That would be awesome.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

My mom and I made these cute cupcakes for my sister in laws birthday. Mom baked them, and I iced them. Don't they look like real ice cream cones? I love the way the icing came out. The only issue we had was that they wouldn't stand alone, so we had to put them in little plastic cups that we cut down to size.

And believe me...they were just as yummy as they look!

Another Cake For Brandi

Yesterday the little monster, I mean Brandi, had her birthday party. We had lots of fun, and lots of good food. Brandi and I made this cake together, and from what I heard it was yummy. I ate the peanut butter brownies we made instead of the cake. And they were yummy, too.

Carly, And Hannah, And Wizards, Oh My

Okay all you moms out there. Have you ever seen iCarly? Or Hannah Montana? Or Wizards Of Waverly Place?

For those of you who aren't parents of young girls, these are some of the hottest shows on Nick and Disney. Brandi and Kasi both love these shows, and sometimes I will catch Ryan watching them. I can handle watching iCarly, which is a show about three young teens who do there own webshow from a loft in Carly's apartment. This show is funny and well written, and appeals to both of my girls.

Hannah Montana used to be tolerable, but now I can not stand watching it. I think it has something to do with Miley growing up to be not such a good role model for my daughters.

Wizards, on the other hand, is a show that I will go out of my way to watch. I love Selena Gomez, and so does Brandi. In fact, she wants that to be the theme of her birthday party this Sunday. This is a problem for me, because she wants a very specific cake, and I just can not find it anywhere. I can't even find Wizard decorations to make the cake for her.

I guess I will try talking her into something else.

Brandi's Birthday

I can not believe tomorrow is little butts birthday. It blows my mind that my baby is going to be eight years old.

I made these cupcakes for her to take to school tomorrow. She picked out the princess picks, and I wasn't surprised. If she could walk around all day in a princess gown with a tiara, she would. She is convinced that she is the most beautiful person on earth.

To me, she is one of them for sure.

My Ratty Looking Children

This is what my brats looked like going to school this morning. Can you tell it's been a long week? I promise you that the girls hair really did look a lot better than this picture shows...or maybe I was just too tired to notice! lol! Either way, it's Ryan's birthday today, and we are meeting some friends and family for supper tonight at Golden Corral (Ryan's choice) and I am really looking forward to it. I just love spending time with the people I love.

Ryan's Birthday Cake

I didn't make this cake; my mom did. Isn't it adorable?

You can't see it good in the picture, but it has fondant leaves on top, and a snickers as the stem. The eyes, nose, and mouth are chocolate chips.

Let me tell you...not only did it look good, but it was DELICIOUS!

Thanks mom!

Orlando Inflatable Bounce House Rentals

My father had his 60th birthday party at an ice skating rink/inflatables center. The older grandchildren had a great time ice skating, while the younger grandchildren bounced on the inflatables. It was Ryan and Kasi's first time skating, and they caught on pretty quickly. Brandi put one skate on the ice and freaked out, so I spent the rest of the party with her on the inflatables. She had so much fun, and has been begging me ever since to have inflatables at her birthday in December. The only problem is that the weather is very unpredictable, and it could be too cold to be outside. I wish we lived in Florida, because then we could take advantage of Orlando Bounce House Rentals. They have this Rain Day Guarantee, where if the weather is unfavorable the day of your party, Orlando inflatable bounce house rentals will arrange for you to have your party indoor at one of their Monkey Joe's locations. Maybe I will just save myself the headache of worrying about the weather and look into having her party at Monkey Joe's instead of at our house. The only problem is that her birthday is so close to Christmas, and money is tight that time of year. I guess I need to start putting money aside now.

Happy Birthday Alex!

We are going to Missy's house for Alex's birthday tonight. The kids can't wait.

Today is Alex's 12th birthday, so go to Missy's and wish him a big...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!!!!

Someday, he is going to marry my Kasi, and then we will all be family.

How cool would that be?

Kasi's Birthday Dinner

Tomorrow is Kasi's birthday. She'll be twelve years old. I can only assume that this is the year she will "become a woman". I think I was thirteen when I started, but she's more mature than I was at that age.

Anyway, on their bithday's, the kids get to pick where they want to have for supper. Kasi is wanting to go to Golden Corral, but they don't take checks and Junior doesn't get paid until Friday. I am going to try my hardest to convince her that she wants Chinese.

Birthday Brunch

Today I am hosting a birthday brunch.

This is my contribution...muffins.
I made cinnamon, banana nut, blueberry, and strawberry cheesecake.
Don't they just look yummy!
I can't wait to see what everyone else brings.