I think one of the best parts of my birthday this year was the excitement of my kids.
They wanted to celebrate my birthday just like we do theirs, BIG.
Cake, presents, decorations, dinner of choice, etc...

Kate found streamers in the party drawer, left-over from her birthday.  I gave them a roll of tape and here is what we have....

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I just had a birthday...

David and the kids decided to make me a cake from SCRATCH.

I did provide the recipe, Grandma's Chocolate Cake.  

From my occasional observation because they did not want me to help, everything was going perfect and the cakes were in the oven.  David just finished making the icing and we were debating if there was enough, or did we need to double the recipe?

I stepped out of the room.

David made a phone call to Josie / Michael, which ended with the words, "I have to go, there is smoke pouring out of my oven."  

Kate came running down the hall, "Mommy!!! Mommy!!!  Come quick, the oven is on fire!"

(moment for much laughter....)

Yep, the cake pans were too small and the cake over flowed and started the oven to smoke, no fire.

(FYI, I did provide the cake pans to David, so I did feel some what responsible.)  


However, Grandma's recipe does not give any pan sizes, I did check.  I also swear, these were the pans I used the last time I made it.

So, I got out the bigger pans and went to put Stephen to bed.

David and Kate made the cakes again and this time in the right size pans.

The icing was perfect, hence our personal taste testers.  

(FYI, the pictures to follow were taken on the following night, when they iced the cake.)  

Kate approved.  

Stephen approved.  (Please look behind Stephen, at Dixie!  She is just waiting for a morsel to fall....)

The cake was REALLY good!  I wanted to cut into in Tuesday night, but we were good and waited until Wednesday.  

Grandma herself would have been impressed!  

 

Even the dogs got to eat a little bit and celebrate. 

 

Craziness!


David and Kate built an igloo in our front yard.
(Yep, that's what we do here in Wisconsin.) 


Kate desperately wanted a roof on her igloo, hence the sheet.  


Good news, we are suppose to get more snow tonight and tomorrow.  
9 inches possibly...?
Who knows, maybe we will figure out how to build a real roof out of snow.

Sledding in January

I meant to put these up earlier in the month....  These were taken during our last big snow in beginning of January.

Right now Richmond has more snow on the ground than Brookfield, Wisconsin.  

And, oddly enough, Richmond currently has a larger total of snow this year, 2010, than Wisconsin.
(according to the airport totals.)

Virginia, have fun in the snow.  I am actually hoping we get more snow soon.  Right now what is on the ground is mainly ice, no fun.  Snow, lots of snow, that is much fun.

I'm a Mom....

After a long weekend.... (Why would I be complaining about a long weekend???)

Our kids for some reason were really fighting with each other this weekend, which does not usually happen, they both kept ending up in time out.  I am endlessly trying to explain the beauty of "ignoring" to Kate.  The funny thing is, she gets it, she does it when she wants too.... She just really wants to have the last word.  (Hmmmm.... I wonder where she gets that passion from?)

Anyways, I joined them gym and I love it.  Free child care, spending time with my friends, having more energy.... it is great.  All I wanted to do this morning was get to the gym and have an hour to myself.  Bags are packed, kids are in the car, and..... Stephen vomits.  

I know, poor guy.... I do feel bad for him.  He has such a strong gag reflux, he can't just cough up something, he has to empty his stomach.  No, I do not think he is sick with a stomach bug, but he has been coughing and he does have a slight runny nose.  Nope, I won't be that mom, bringing her sick kid to infect everyone else's kids.  (However, there is a part of me that wants to be that mom right now, in order to get an hour to myself.)  Ahhhh.... tomorrow right?

Potty Training

Well, we are back in the diapers.  Occasionally we are peeing on the potty, Stephen that is. :)

We will get there, we are just not there yet.  In the meantime we have a full drawer of little boys underwears with "Thomas, Lighting McQueen, and The Wonder Pets."

I guess the question should be, Who is on your underwear?

What have we been doing?

Well, take a look.  Hundreds of dollars spent on Christmas gifts and these are the games we play....

Pirates....

Lemonade Stand...

Flying Game / Dinosaurs????

Anyways, I find it crazy, wonderful, and creative.  As much as a part of me wishes that they would play with the toys we got them for Christmas, the creative side of me loves watching their creative minds IMAGINE and develop new things.  Who knows, I might be raising some rocket scientists or veterinarians, which I love.

Big BOY

He decided today was the day.

TODAY, is the day he decided to pee-pee in the potty..... life according to Stephen.

(I jumped at the opportunity, and I am completely shocked by his willingness.  But, I had 6 little pairs of underwear ready to go.)

So, he did it!  And we are working on it..... Personally I think little boys "underwears" are the cutest things.  

We have lots of snow...

Can you believe there is a flag on top of the fire hydrant?

Now do you see why?

I'm still here...

Did you think I had left for good?

Nope, I am still here OR now back here.

It is good to be home.  I am still unpacking and of course my suitcase is the last one to unpack.  Yes, I have been living out of it for the past week.  Well.... really the past three weeks.

Happy news, it is SNOWING!  Really, really snowing..... we are supposed to get 6-10" during the day today.  So now I might actually have to use the snowblower because David is at work.  If this happens, it will be a first.