Melted

I love birthday parties. Love them. In fact, I love throwing parties even more than going to them. I spend months thinking about what food I'll make, exactly how to create decorations using things we have on hand, and... well... that's pretty much it. I just like to think about food and decorations.

Last fall when I was miserably pregnant (no offense Nils!) we hit up the Target Halloween clearance and I announced that a Charlotte's Web party would be just perfect for Carolena's third birthday celebration. I bought web and spider crafts and enlisted my sister and mom to help me find a million plastic spiders. I spent months daydreaming about turning our backyard into a county fair. I designed and redesigned invitations until they were perfect.

And then we watched Frozen.

And then we watched Frozen again.

And then we watched Frozen again.

And then... well... you get the picture.

So, invitations were recreated using Olaf. Because it's July in Texas and we were hosting a Frozen party, a new sprinkler was purchased for the backyard. A few nights were spent painting Olaf onto an extra piece of plywood I found hanging out in our garage. Marshmallows, chocolate chips, and jellybeans were tossed onto the kitchen island as I announced, "okay, we've got to figure out how to turn these cupcakes into Olaf." Can you tell someone in our household likes a particular snowman? Coffee filters were cut into snowflakes and strung up outside. And, voila! A Texas style Frozen party was thrown.

 

 

Dozens of donut holes were consumed. Olaf cupcakes were enjoyed... well, the icing was at least. Elsa's Snow (aka blue koolaid) was gulped down. A sugar high was enjoyed by all. Carolena had a very happy Frozen birthday indeed! So, look forward to a Charlotte's Web or Halloween party invitation coming your way soon. Those spiders in my closet can't stay there forever!

The Glorious Fourth

 

Two bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Five kids under the age of five.

 

Two types of creatures kissed by Carolena: two hermit crabs and one mullet. 

Don't dare that girl to do anything.

 

 At least one nap.

 One more female who proved the continued strength of the Svendsen Gene. 

Welcome to the club, Jack Jack.

One picture of Carolena that strangely looks nothing like her. Who is this child?

Oh, there she is! One picture of Carolena that captures so much... "Carolena won't get offfff meeeee."

Two cousins who will go through life hearing the phrase, "this photo will be at their joint graduation party someday" over and over and over. 

Actually, strike that, there will be at least four cousins hearing that phrase...

One baby who likes pacifiers. One baby who likes to steal pacifiers just to get his goat.

One set of muppets in a sink bathtub. "We're baby tigers." Ah yes, because of the buckets on your heads. That makes perfect sense. I should have known.

A full day on the beach complete with picnic and skipped naps.

Blondies and watermelon and pineapple and American flag sheet cake.

S'mores. Oh Lordy, the s'mores.

Three big kids in pjs on Jimmer's lap for Brer Rabbit bedtime stories.

Children insisting that "Moom do it."What is "it" in this sentence? Anything and everything.

Record breaking seaweed.

Kids old enough to sit on the deck in pajamas and watch the fireworks.

A glorious fourth indeed.

Complaining About Complainers

One of the things I find so fascinatingly annoying about motherhood is interacting with other mothers. Geeze, what a bunch of whiners. You do remember that it was your choice to have children, right? You do know that you can choose to go back to work if you hate being a stay-home-mom so much, right? You do know that you can turn off the tv, drive to the pool, and spend the entire day swimming and eating snowcones, right?

Recently someone mentioned a conversation she and I supposedly had in which I said I wasn't sure what to do with Carolena home for the summer. I was horrified. This other mom had the wrong person. Me? Not know what to do with my children for the summer? What?! Also, Carolena only goes to school for a few hours a week... her not going to school isn't all that different. I tried my best not to be rude (and I think I succeeded) and told her that I am actually enjoying a fun-packed summer. It is Carolena in fact who misses school. Not me. Sheesh. Like I would ever complain about spending time with one of my favorite people in the whole world. Like I would ever say I don't know what to do in the summer.

Thinking that I had complained about kids being home from school wasn't that far fetched though - because I seem to be the exception on this topic, not the rule. So many other moms have complained to me about not knowing what to do with their kids. I honestly don't get it. I mean, yes, I do feel judgmental about it (God forgive me), but also, I really don't get it. How can you not know what to do?

Days around here are filled with trips to the library, trips to the pool, Sonic drinks, and popsicles. We go on picnics every chance we get. We stay at the park until we're so sweaty and exhausted we have to get home and collapse into bed for siestas (or lie in bed sobbing because we'd rather be outside - depends on the day). We've got a calendar full of beach weekends and birthday parties. We spend entire afternoons working on arts and crafts while listening to the Annie or Frozen soundtracks (or if we're feeling exceptionally crazy - both soundtracks on shuffle. We're rebellious like that.). June has already whizzed past us and we haven't even had time to accomplish anything on our official summer fun list! A trip to the children's museum (with free tickets won by Grandma! woo!), a day at the splashpad, NASA, Galveston, SFA State Park... the list goes on... watch out July and August, the Duncans are here and there is a lot of fun to be had!