DARE Graduation

A few weeks ago Kylee graduated from the DARE program. Another reality that my daughter is growing up. She took the pledge and I will remind her of that pledge as high school nears. You see all these kids all pumped up to say no to drugs. I hope they remember all this when they become teenagers. Drugs can really mess your life up.

Kylee's Class waiting for it to begin.

Kylee getting her certificate from her teacher.


Kylee shaking hands with the Officer that taught the program.

Addy passing time until it began. We had to go early to get a good seat (front row). After the ceremony they had cupcakes and bottled water. Ryann and Addy had to go for the cupcakes with the RED frosting and not the white frosting. This dyed their skin red and stained Addy's shirt.

Cadoo

Last night Elliott and I were playing the game Cadoo (a kids Cranium game) with Alyssa. It is a kid game that you have to compete to be the first to get four tokens in a row. You have to draw, act, sculpt, or answer a question. Alyssa drew a card that she had to act out. She said it was going to be hard to act this out. I told her that if we didn't guess it don't worry it just means she is not very good at acting......I was totally being sarcastic.....bad idea. She crouches on all fours and starts to leap forward making a growling noise. Elliott and I are competing against each other to guess it first. So naturally we are guess every animal out there. She then lays down on the ground and starts to SOB. Elliott and I looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh because why is she crying. We asked her what was wrong and she lifts up her head with a wet face from tears saying she is not good at acting. This was a priceless moment. I couldn't believe she was actually crying over this. I felt like a bad parent because of what I had said and the fact that I was still laughing. We had her give us some clues and I finally guessed it...........a shark! Kylee joined us for a second round. Alyssa did great with her acting skills but still a little nervous. It is sad that I find humor at my children's expense. If you are looking for a fun game to play with your school-aged kids, this is a good one.

Spa Birthday Party

We celebrated Alyssa's 9th birthday by giving her a Spa Birthday Party. We well more like "I" wanted to keep the numbers down low this year and had her invite 5 friends. All were able to come. I also allowed Kylee to invite one friend and they were my helpers bringing the total to 8 girls....perfect number. Knowing how crazy Saturdays can be...we opted for Friday night. The girls were so funny and had a blast. What a fun age. So here is the what we did:

Invitation

I made the invites to look like a slumber mask (or whatever you call those things). On the back said, "It's time to get spoiled and pampered all day Please join us as we "Spa" for Alyssa's 9th Birthday!" Then it listed all the info. We told the girls to come in their PJs and to bring their swimsuit.

When the girls arrived we had a spa sign on the front door and set up a waiting room for them to "check in" and wait for the others to arrive. (We temporally have our neighbors furniture that came in handy...another post) I used the colors of the invite for decorations...pink and brown. I was surprised how hard it was to find brown stuff. I guess it is not much of a party color.

Then we moved into the kitchen for them to make heart shaped pizzas. While the pizza cook they made body glitter by putting aloe vera gel in a bottle then mixing in fine glitter...so simple.

Next they were off to begin the Spa fun. I gave each girl a head band to keep the hair out of their face. Getting them on was a chore...why would a company make such tight headbands? (Hmmm...maybe that is why they were at the dollar store) I paired the girls up and had them give each other blind makeovers. One would be blindfolded (with a slumber mask of course) and apply powder, eye shadow, and lipstick to their partner....the girls were in hysterics.

The "Before"

Alyssa giving a makeover

The "After" (Kylee and her friend are in the blue headbands)

Once they were all done, it was time to wash it off. With the help of Kylee and her friend we gave them mini facials. I made a mask out of bananas, yogurt, and honey and then topped it off with cumbers.

With fresh new faces I put them into two teams..3 girls on one side of the table and 3 on the other. I placed cotton balls all down the middle and gave each girl a straw. They had to blow the cotton balls to the other side of the table. The team with the most on the floor on there side lost. I then gave each girl a puff-ball for the bath (I don't know what they are called but you use them with liquid soap). Now it was time to send them off on a treasure hunt with the prize being manicure sets. I found these at the dollar store...best place to get party stuff.


Now it was time for pedicures. I wanted the girls to be able to do this all together so I filled up a kiddie pool (actually I should say Elliott did) with hot water so they could soak their feet. (Kiddie pools are a great party tool you can do so much with at parties). Having tile floors can make life so easy...unless your toddler drops anything breakable. I made a sugar scrub for them to rub all over their feet. Once they dried them off I gave them each their own body butter (again dollar store find) and we played spin the bottle. I set up different finger nail polishes in a circle and the girls took their turn spinning the bottle to see what color the toes would be painted. Then Kylee and I painted their toes.

The one that doesn't look like a color was a blue bottle that turned out to be more glittery than blue.

Now it was time for Cake/Ice Cream and Presents.

I made cupcakes instead of a cake. Alyssa wanted chocolate on chocolate with pink sprinkles on top.

It took four blows to get them all out.

She got lots of makeup, a purse, clothes and stuff for her American girl dolls, scrapbook kit, clothes for her including a new swimsuit, money, a pet shop, zhu zhu pet and car, candy, hair stuff, and money.
She loved it all!

On a complete side note:

Ryann and Addy changed into swimsuits at some point during the party despite the fact we told them they would not be swimming with the girls. Addison being a big 2 year old put her swimsuit on all by herself...I couldn't resist a picture. Swimsuits can be tricky business.

a little nipple...

a little cheek...

This brings us to the end of the party when we had the girls change into their swimsuits and spend the rest of the time in the spa. Most of them jumped into the freezing cold cold pool...crazy kids.

Them jumping off the waterfall into the pool.

Each girl went home with a goodie bag that had a slumber mask, lip gloss, gum, and a toe ring, along with their body glitter, headband, manicure set, body butter, and bath puff ball.

In the end Alyssa had a blast and said it was her favorite birthday party...I think she says this every year.

Happy 9th Birthday Alyssa!! We love you!

Pat-Lock

I finally have had it and made Elliott put a lock on the pantry. I do not feel it is my job to stand guard all day to keep my little munchers out of the food. By not standing guard they will consume a weeks worth of snacks in a day.....hmmm and not be hungry for lunch or dinner.

We call it the "Pat-Lock" Addison aka Addy aka Patty aka Pat was the inspiration for the name since she is the worse at climbing up shelves and helping herself. It has worked wonders.

I just need to remember to keep it locked. The other morning her radar must have been on and it was unlocked. I came downstairs to discover a package of new oreos on the floor..and no Pat..I knew it had Pat written all over it. Half of the cookies were gone...HALF! The big girls have put some in their lunches...I have no idea how many she took. We were just heading out to pick Ryann up from school and she wanted to bring a purse....this is normal and I never check to see what is inside. Sure enough she had an oreo face. Once Ryann got inside the car she asked me why their were oreos in Addy's purse. 4 oreos.... I asked her how many she had eaten....her response, "A LOT!" My little cookie monster.

Sing Sing Sing

Kylee has never been much of a singer. I remember when she was really young Elliott had made a comment that he hoped our other children were singers because Kylee never would sing to herself. We are not talking about being singers as in he wanted them to be on American Idol but the kind you can hear singing throughout the house as they are playing or in the store as your shopping. Well since that comment we have had 3 more girls and all of them are singers...even little Addy will hum if she doesn't know the words. This ANNOYS Kylee to no end. She is always complaining to them to stop singing. She really hates it in the car which is one of Alyssa's and Ryann's most favorite places to belt it out. This morning I was present for a funny conversation between Kylee and Alyssa.

All three of us were in the kitchen putting together their lunches...Alyssa happily singing as she is going about her business. Kylee finally tells her to stop singing....to this Alyssa replies, "Singing is my talent so you are just going to have to live with it." I couldn't help but laugh to myself...

Just like the other day driving in the car Ryann is belting out a Taylor Swift song. After the song is over she then tells me, "See Mom I know all the words to that song and that is why I am going to be a singer when I grow up." The things kids say.....

Mom Award

The other day I decided to take Ryann and Addison to playgroup at the park. I was running a little late because I wanted to get the morning mess from breakfast all cleaned up and dinner going, and start some laundry before I left...9:30 can come fast. I headed out with the drinks and snacks. Getting the girls in the car I realized Addy didn't have her shoes on and ran into the house to grab her some. We don't wear shoes in our house so they all like to gather right inside in front of the garage door on the floor...despite the shoe shelf that sits right next to this pile. I reached down grabbed two shoes and headed back to the car. As I was about to get in....I had the impression to put them on her right now. This was a funny thought because experience has taught me NOT to put shoes on Addy until we get there do to the fact she will have shoes and sock off within 45 seconds of putting them on, leaving me to put them back on for the second time once we get to our destination. Trying to save time this didn't fit into the plan.


Once I got to the park I realized why I had that impression. As I went to grab the shoes I had one white sketcher in a size 7 1/2...Addy's and one white sketcher in a 13 1/2...Alyssa's. NICE-ONE! So I did what any WT mom would do and put her socks on and carried her to the playground. The park has the rubber flooring everywhere no rocks, sand, or dirt under the play equipment....and within 5 minutes normally she is bringing me her shoes so what's the difference. Within 10 minutes of playing she tells me she had to go potty....she went right before we left so I told her I would take her in a minute...I was talking to another mom and the idea of taking her into a public bathroom with no shoes REALLY grossed me out. No more than 2 minutes later she is crying and had peed.....bad mom. I felt horrible because she told me and I didn't think she really had to go. At this point I was wondering what was the point in coming. I keep an extra pair of panties and pants for her in my car...just in case. I switched her bottoms out so not only was she shoeless but her outfit didn't match. I guess that's what happens to you when you are the 4th kid. Let's just say I wasn't in the running for any mom award for that day.