Celebrating #7

This past weekend was a weekend of celebrating Asa's 7th birthday. Saturday we woke up early and had our Birthday Orange Cinnamon Rolls. When I was a kid my siblings and I loved these -- the cheap kind out of a can -- and I made them for several birthday breakfasts when the boys were small. For Ezra's last birthday I woke up early and baked something....scones or muffins or something similar -- something that takes time :) And he was thankful, but wondered aloud where the orange cinnamon rolls were. So, it was an established tradition evidently, and that is fine, they are quick and easy, totally unhealthy and delicious.


We woke up early, not because we are early birds, but because we it was opening day for baseball and we had a parade to be at at 8:30 am. The boys had their first game too and they both did really well....I didn't keep my eyes on the game the whole time because I was watching Marlow and Eliot too, but I know they both scored at least one run....maybe more and their team won. Go Giants!

Asa is getting ready to throw a bunch of candy at us, Ezra is to his right.

On Sunday we had a party, it was Star Wars themed with a cake decorated by Aunt Kelly.

Count Dooku fighting Anakin


Asa eating Anakin's head

We had a treasure hunt with clues that had the boys hunting all over the back yard for their goody bags. We also played "pin the lightsaber on Anakin" with a picture of Anakin that Ezra drew and a bunch of lightsabers of varying sizes he drew and cut out. We generally always play "pin ______ on ________" at birthday parties depending on what "we are into" at the time. I imagine we will play something like "pin the crown on the princess" or "pin the glass slipper on Cinderella" at Marlow's birthday party.

Boys lining up for the next clue


Searching high and low

All in all, it was a beautiful, slightly chilly day. Fun was had by all and Asa is now officially seven years old. And we don't have to talk about "what to do for my (his) birthday" for at least six months. Gemma is up next, turning one May 1st. Then Joseph, and Marlow....the list goes on and on :)

whatchamacallit

This morning Marlow came to me and said, "Mom, can we watch a movie? We want to watch 'The Girl Who is in Wonderland'"
"Ummmmm....." I say, trying to decide if I want them to watch a movie.
I'm taking too long to think and she runs off and comes back a few minutes later with a DVD case, "Mom, instead we have in mind to watch 'The Three Little Skunks'" and holds up the case for Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas cartoons.
I burst out laughing, told her "They aren't skunks, they're chipmunks and yes, you can watch it."

Spring Break

We (Amy and the kids) spent the first half of the boy's spring break in Tallahassee visiting my sister Katie and her husband Ryan and their two boys, Mason and Gage. I uploaded a bunch of pictures from our visit.....they will tell the story of our adventures, along with a bit of commentary from me.

Easter festival manicure

Saturday we visited a nearby church for their Easter activities. The plan was to join in on their egg hunt, but we got there right at the beginning of the event and the egg hunt was in the last 15 min (2 hrs away) it was a tad windy and we had too many little ones who needed naps, so we played for a while and headed home. Marlow got two bunnies painted on her cheeks and her nails done. She scratched the blue polish off about 3 minutes later because she didn't like the color she picked.

Ready to go hunt for eggs!

Ryan put together an awesome egg hunt in their backyard since we didn't do the one at the church.

Marlow and Mason looking for eggs


It's all so exciting!!!

Their huge sandbox was an awesome place to hide eggs. Actually, their whole yard was great. Ryan made some of them pretty easy for the little guys, but a lot of them you really had to look hard for.....I think it took us a good 15-20 minutes to find all 100 of the eggs he hid.

Sweet Gemma


Early morning coloring session while the moms rest a bit more.


Walking down the road at Grandpa's house.

The kids and I went out to my Dad's one night for dinner. The kids enjoyed visiting with their grandparents -- Grandpa and Zippy. We had a lovely dinner out on their deck, with perfect Florida spring weather. Their property is gorgeous with lots of beautiful plants and trees.


Playing in the pool


In the bird sanctuary at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science -- Down at the end of the line Ezra is looking at a bald eagle.

I lived in Tallahassee from when I was 4 till I went away to college at 17. Over the years I went many times, mostly during elementary school years, to the Junior Museum (now renamed the Tallahassee Museum of History of Natural Science). It has animals that are native to Florida like deer, panthers, turkeys, black bears, alligators, skunk.....the list goes on. It also has a farm with farm animals and old farm buildings, an old church, school, train car, and plantation house. I loved going when I was a kid and it was fun to take my kids -- especially since and it was well kept up and virtually unchanged from when I was a child. The only big change was an awesome playground -- super cool.


Looking down at a deer

There are long boardwalks that go through the wild animal section and make it easy to view the animals. I love the feeling of walking around in the trees and looking down at the wild animals.

We had more lovely spring weather and the animals were out enjoying it. This black bear walked right up under us and started digging around in the dirt....he looks tiny in the picture but was pretty huge -- about three times bigger than me.

I loved playing in the old caboose when I was a kid. It was fun to see my kids doing the same sort of things I did at their age.


Marlow, Asa, Ezra, Eliot and Mason


Me and the kids: Asa, Eliot, Ezra, Amy, Gemma & Marlow


All the little crazies: Asa, Eliot, Ezra, Marlow, Mason and Gage

We had a fabulous week visiting with Aunt Katie, Uncle Ryan and our sweet cousins. Katie and I survived the house full of rambunctious kids and enjoyed our evening thank-God-all-the-kids-are-in-bed chats (I am not at all implying that Ryan didn't survive....He was fabulous playing with the kids....but being the Dad, he had to go to work and wasn't with the kiddos as much as we were -- he very graciously welcomed us and didn't complain a bit about the added chaos of five more kids.) We compared parenting techniques and had a couple of nights spent praying for family and friends. I am always so refreshed after spending time with my dear Katie.