Today is my husband's birthday. We celebrated with flank steak and chocolate cheesecake, I even got us a nice bottle of wine for the occasion. The dinner prep was a bit rushed, Rebecca had soccer practice at 7. Unfortunately I was a bit slow and for the first time ever her ride was early. So no steak for the girl. The rest of us got to enjoy the steak and she had a nice bowl of her favorite soup when she got home.
Then we broke out the menorahs and lit the candles for the seventh night of Hanukkah.
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
15 Years of Excitement
This is Nate from well over a decade ago and he is still the same silly boy that is almost always in motion. He is almost my height now, it looks like he is just 2 inches shorter than me. that difference, however is not going to last. I swear he has grown a few inches in the past few weeks.
As for his birthday, he didn't get the day off even though it is Veterans' Day. He did, however, get to have a couple of his favorite foods. His request for his birthday treat was cinnamon rolls. He is not a big fan of cake, coffee cake is more his speed.
He was willing to have me buy him a coffee cake, but I wouldn't hear of it. Dang it, I have made them before and I can certainly make them for my son's birthday. It just meant I had to have them all set to go in the oven before I went to bed and set the oven's time to preheat it so I could pop the rolls in a 5:30 am.
Nate was very pleased with his birthday treat and I think the smell of the cinnamon rolls made everyone wake up a little easier this morning.
As for his birthday, he didn't get the day off even though it is Veterans' Day. He did, however, get to have a couple of his favorite foods. His request for his birthday treat was cinnamon rolls. He is not a big fan of cake, coffee cake is more his speed.
He was willing to have me buy him a coffee cake, but I wouldn't hear of it. Dang it, I have made them before and I can certainly make them for my son's birthday. It just meant I had to have them all set to go in the oven before I went to bed and set the oven's time to preheat it so I could pop the rolls in a 5:30 am.
Nate was very pleased with his birthday treat and I think the smell of the cinnamon rolls made everyone wake up a little easier this morning.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Happy 12th Birthday to Rebecca and Max
Today marked the 12th birthday of my favorite set of Twins. They didn't get to go to the beach today, but they did not so long ago. We had just the two of them and they had a great time. They did separate things, building sand castles for Max and goofing off in the waves for Rebecca, and came together to bury each other in the sand. It'd max's turn here and a short while later Rebecca was buried by Max.
It's nice to see them play so well together. They bicker and argue, but that's what siblings do. The main thing is that deep down they do care for each other and get along fairly well. They are separate individuals and they make that clear on a regular basis.
Take for instance their birthday treats. We have a long standing tradition that on your birthday you get some sort of treat for breakfast. It can be cookies, cake, what ever you want within reason. Max was easy to guess, he loves pumpkin pie and that's all I needed to know.
Rebecca was a bit trickier. I knew chocolate would be involved, but what form? She spent a day mulling it over and came back to me with a request for a chocolate eclair pie.
Ooo a new challenge!
I spent some time searching, it was hard because most recipes call for instant vanilla pudding and graham crackers. Which, for me, is a big no. I knew there had to be at least one from scratch recipe and after some careful searching I found it over at Food.com, Delicious Chocolate Eclair Pie.
It was pretty easy to make, just time consuming. I got a little taste of it while assembling and it is well worth the extra time, it tastes just lke an eclair.
unfortunately it wasn't quite what Rebecca wanted. The dessert she had in mind was more of a double crusted custard pie with chocolate drizzled on top. She at first rejected it, but after a bit of pressure from to at least try it before condemning it, she gave it a shot. Turns out she liked the pie despite it not being quite right.
It's nice to see them play so well together. They bicker and argue, but that's what siblings do. The main thing is that deep down they do care for each other and get along fairly well. They are separate individuals and they make that clear on a regular basis.
Take for instance their birthday treats. We have a long standing tradition that on your birthday you get some sort of treat for breakfast. It can be cookies, cake, what ever you want within reason. Max was easy to guess, he loves pumpkin pie and that's all I needed to know.
Rebecca was a bit trickier. I knew chocolate would be involved, but what form? She spent a day mulling it over and came back to me with a request for a chocolate eclair pie.
Ooo a new challenge!
I spent some time searching, it was hard because most recipes call for instant vanilla pudding and graham crackers. Which, for me, is a big no. I knew there had to be at least one from scratch recipe and after some careful searching I found it over at Food.com, Delicious Chocolate Eclair Pie.
It was pretty easy to make, just time consuming. I got a little taste of it while assembling and it is well worth the extra time, it tastes just lke an eclair.
unfortunately it wasn't quite what Rebecca wanted. The dessert she had in mind was more of a double crusted custard pie with chocolate drizzled on top. She at first rejected it, but after a bit of pressure from to at least try it before condemning it, she gave it a shot. Turns out she liked the pie despite it not being quite right.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Birthday Week
There are a whole lot of birthdays going on around here this week. Monday was Larry's and tomorrow, Friday, is mine. Add in another family member in between and you have a busy week.
The key limes I'm featuring here where used to make Larry his birthday cheesecake. He liked the key lime cheesecake a few weeks so much he requested that to be his birthday treat. Juicing the 20 odd limes was a bore, but the juicer made it go quite a bit faster. Plus the rinds look very pretty with the inner membranes having a sort of swirled effect.
I'm not sure what we will be doing for my birthday since we'll be busy carting kids around to soccer and lacrosse on the actual day. It looks like I'll be going to Five Guys with a rather smelly Nate after his lacrosse practice.
I think at some point this weekend or next Larry and I will duck out for a proper birthday dinner for the two of us.
The key limes I'm featuring here where used to make Larry his birthday cheesecake. He liked the key lime cheesecake a few weeks so much he requested that to be his birthday treat. Juicing the 20 odd limes was a bore, but the juicer made it go quite a bit faster. Plus the rinds look very pretty with the inner membranes having a sort of swirled effect.
I'm not sure what we will be doing for my birthday since we'll be busy carting kids around to soccer and lacrosse on the actual day. It looks like I'll be going to Five Guys with a rather smelly Nate after his lacrosse practice.
I think at some point this weekend or next Larry and I will duck out for a proper birthday dinner for the two of us.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Birthday Cookies
Meryl requested that this year instead of a cake she would like cookies for her birthday, specifically sugar cookies made the way she remembers.
They had to be large, about 4 inches across, a 1/4 inch thick, and smothered in nonpareils.
Done, done, and done.
I warned her that the cookies would have scalloped edges. I wasn't going to buy yet another cookie cutter when I could use one of my four inch tartelette pans. Meryl was fine with variation and in fact decided it looked very nice on the finished product.
I dropped off the cookies today on her birthday and they were a huge success. They were soft and just the right size. She told me I could have loaded on more nonpareils, but that changed after Meryl ate a cookie. I had completely nailed the cookie she was hankering.
Happy birthday Meryl, I'm glad I could bake you the treat you wanted.
They had to be large, about 4 inches across, a 1/4 inch thick, and smothered in nonpareils.
Done, done, and done.
I warned her that the cookies would have scalloped edges. I wasn't going to buy yet another cookie cutter when I could use one of my four inch tartelette pans. Meryl was fine with variation and in fact decided it looked very nice on the finished product.
I dropped off the cookies today on her birthday and they were a huge success. They were soft and just the right size. She told me I could have loaded on more nonpareils, but that changed after Meryl ate a cookie. I had completely nailed the cookie she was hankering.
Happy birthday Meryl, I'm glad I could bake you the treat you wanted.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Zoom
Happy birthday to my kid in perpetual motion.
You are smart, funny, kind, a huge worry-wart, and the most active child of a very active brood. You really can not sit still, which makes this picture Rebecca took of you so very, very appropriate.
14 years ago you barreled into our lives, happy birthday Nate.
You are smart, funny, kind, a huge worry-wart, and the most active child of a very active brood. You really can not sit still, which makes this picture Rebecca took of you so very, very appropriate.
14 years ago you barreled into our lives, happy birthday Nate.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Eleven
This weekend we were able to sneak in Max's birthday party before the bottom dropped out and everybody started panicking about Sandy.
All Max wanted was to go to Waffle House and have some friends sleepover. We keep the guest list small and Max got just what he wanted. Since Waffle House is jammed in the morning we decided to go for dinner. Larry and Jacob were unable to attend (pesky high school football game that marching band would be at) which made us a group of seven. We couldn't all fit in one booth, so Max and his three guests got a table while Nate Rebecca, and I sat at the counter nearby. The boys were very well behaved and really enjoyed being at their own table.
Then it was back to the house to have Max's standard cake, a turtle shaped battle field with a war on top. This year he wanted a tank, which is the blobby green thing with the Cheerio gun. The boys then spent the rest of the evening tearing around the house whilst shoot each other with Nerf type guns. A wonderful time was had by all, even the big guys joined in the fun for a bit.
I'm glad Sandy wasn't able to mess up Max's party.
All Max wanted was to go to Waffle House and have some friends sleepover. We keep the guest list small and Max got just what he wanted. Since Waffle House is jammed in the morning we decided to go for dinner. Larry and Jacob were unable to attend (pesky high school football game that marching band would be at) which made us a group of seven. We couldn't all fit in one booth, so Max and his three guests got a table while Nate Rebecca, and I sat at the counter nearby. The boys were very well behaved and really enjoyed being at their own table.
Then it was back to the house to have Max's standard cake, a turtle shaped battle field with a war on top. This year he wanted a tank, which is the blobby green thing with the Cheerio gun. The boys then spent the rest of the evening tearing around the house whilst shoot each other with Nerf type guns. A wonderful time was had by all, even the big guys joined in the fun for a bit.
I'm glad Sandy wasn't able to mess up Max's party.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
A Pound of Love
I requested no presents this year, but I husband decided he was going to get me my favorite chocolate regardless.
They are chocolate (both milk and dark) covered caramels with a bit of salt. I think they are sublime, combining salt and sweet in every bite. The first time I tried any sort of salted chocolate I was a bit wary. I love the combination of buttered popcorn and Milk Duds, but...
Salt? On chocolate?
I was an immediate convert. I settled on the salted chocolate caramels as my go to treat. Smooth caramel enrobed in quality chocolate with just a sprinkle of salt. Heaven.
Thank you Larry for the pound of love.
They are chocolate (both milk and dark) covered caramels with a bit of salt. I think they are sublime, combining salt and sweet in every bite. The first time I tried any sort of salted chocolate I was a bit wary. I love the combination of buttered popcorn and Milk Duds, but...
Salt? On chocolate?
I was an immediate convert. I settled on the salted chocolate caramels as my go to treat. Smooth caramel enrobed in quality chocolate with just a sprinkle of salt. Heaven.
Thank you Larry for the pound of love.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ask And You Shall Receive
A battle turtle cake.
When I asked Max what kind of cake he wanted he said "a battlefield in the shape of a turtle with soldiers fighting on it."
Okaaay, this was clearly a job for my cake corps and my half-of-a-ball cake pan. Max had also wanted tanks, but persuaded him to let that particular idea go.With the army men there will be enough going on the cake.
It came out rather well considering the hurry I was in to get the cake completed Friday night. The only flaw was that it turned out Max wanted an orange flavored cake (a surprise for me). Otherwise everybody was impressed with the final result.
Oh and at least one of Max's guest wanted to take one or two members of the Cake Corps home, but I nixed that idea and explained these were my army men and not party favors.
When I asked Max what kind of cake he wanted he said "a battlefield in the shape of a turtle with soldiers fighting on it."
Okaaay, this was clearly a job for my cake corps and my half-of-a-ball cake pan. Max had also wanted tanks, but persuaded him to let that particular idea go.With the army men there will be enough going on the cake.
It came out rather well considering the hurry I was in to get the cake completed Friday night. The only flaw was that it turned out Max wanted an orange flavored cake (a surprise for me). Otherwise everybody was impressed with the final result.
Oh and at least one of Max's guest wanted to take one or two members of the Cake Corps home, but I nixed that idea and explained these were my army men and not party favors.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Birthday Twins
Yesterday Max and Rebecca hit the big one-oh. They are now in the double digits. This picture is from just before the big oh one. They still smiling today, just a whole lot bigger and more mobile.
This year the dynamic duo elected to have separate parties. Due to various scheduling conflicts Rebecca's party will be held later, but we did get Max's party in this weekend.
Max had a couple of friends over Friday night for a sleep over. Larry took them, along with Rebecca, out for a couple games of laser tag and then it was back home for cake. One friend didn't make it through the night, fortunately his home is just the next subdivision over.
Then on Saturday it was off to the soccer games and I'm happy to report both of their teams were victorious.
Happy birthday to my two smiling twins!
This year the dynamic duo elected to have separate parties. Due to various scheduling conflicts Rebecca's party will be held later, but we did get Max's party in this weekend.
Max had a couple of friends over Friday night for a sleep over. Larry took them, along with Rebecca, out for a couple games of laser tag and then it was back home for cake. One friend didn't make it through the night, fortunately his home is just the next subdivision over.
Then on Saturday it was off to the soccer games and I'm happy to report both of their teams were victorious.
Happy birthday to my two smiling twins!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Mister Toad Wishes a Happy Birthday to Jake
Today I didn't take any pictures or drive anywhere with my children.
Instead I let my newly minted 15 year old laze about the house and watch too much TV. Meanwhile, I made his favorite dinner, beef ribs with the added bonus of hand cut french fries. As for his birthday cake, it was a decadent cheesecake I had whipped up Monday night.
It wasn't terribly exciting, but it was a nice way to spend the day.
As for the toad, Jake and I agreed he needed a hat and cane. Thus for my very silly boy, who has grown and matured so much this year, I made it so.
Happy birthday Jake!
(I did try posting this Wednesday night, but Blogger went a little crazy and I decided to try again in the morning)
Instead I let my newly minted 15 year old laze about the house and watch too much TV. Meanwhile, I made his favorite dinner, beef ribs with the added bonus of hand cut french fries. As for his birthday cake, it was a decadent cheesecake I had whipped up Monday night.
It wasn't terribly exciting, but it was a nice way to spend the day.
As for the toad, Jake and I agreed he needed a hat and cane. Thus for my very silly boy, who has grown and matured so much this year, I made it so.
Happy birthday Jake!
(I did try posting this Wednesday night, but Blogger went a little crazy and I decided to try again in the morning)
Friday, November 12, 2010
A Birthday Party A Day Late
Veteran's Day is Nate's birthday, but we didn't celebrate it until today.
As per Nate's request I made him yet another war themed birthday cake and I really outdid myself this year.
I carved out craters on the top and sides, made two tanks (one intact, the other broken and trapped in a crater, and had a rather bloody Cake Corp on top.
The cake was a huge hit at the party. It was declared epic and all the boys liked the the red sparkly gel icing I applied generously to the downed soldiers. If you click on the picture it will take you to my Flickr page and the complete photo-set.
Bloody and gruesome is what 11 to 12 year old boys loved to have on their birthday cakes.
As per Nate's request I made him yet another war themed birthday cake and I really outdid myself this year.
I carved out craters on the top and sides, made two tanks (one intact, the other broken and trapped in a crater, and had a rather bloody Cake Corp on top.
The cake was a huge hit at the party. It was declared epic and all the boys liked the the red sparkly gel icing I applied generously to the downed soldiers. If you click on the picture it will take you to my Flickr page and the complete photo-set.
Bloody and gruesome is what 11 to 12 year old boys loved to have on their birthday cakes.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Twin Cakes
Just like Max and Rebecca, their birthday cakes look nothing alike.
Rebecca requested a cake with chocolate icing and a pink unicorn. Max wanted a turtle cake with the cake corps, but was rather vague concerning how the army men were to be deployed. I opted not to dirty my army men and left them off the cake (bad mommy- but I was seriously over extended and decided my sanity came first).
Over all I was happy how both cakes turned out. Rebecca had fun putting on the sprinkles (I helped with filling in the unicorn) and Max admitted that his cake was pretty good even though he did miss the army men. As for their party guests, they were all impressed and then happily devoured the cake.
As for the party, it was their first non-home based birthday party and it was very exciting for them. They had decided almost a year ago on where they wanted their party and stuck with the same idea. There was only a brief moment of regret on Rebecca's part when I informed her that she could not invite her whole class, but she got over it very quickly. They and their friends had a great time.
Rebecca requested a cake with chocolate icing and a pink unicorn. Max wanted a turtle cake with the cake corps, but was rather vague concerning how the army men were to be deployed. I opted not to dirty my army men and left them off the cake (bad mommy- but I was seriously over extended and decided my sanity came first).
Over all I was happy how both cakes turned out. Rebecca had fun putting on the sprinkles (I helped with filling in the unicorn) and Max admitted that his cake was pretty good even though he did miss the army men. As for their party guests, they were all impressed and then happily devoured the cake.
As for the party, it was their first non-home based birthday party and it was very exciting for them. They had decided almost a year ago on where they wanted their party and stuck with the same idea. There was only a brief moment of regret on Rebecca's part when I informed her that she could not invite her whole class, but she got over it very quickly. They and their friends had a great time.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Number Nine Times Two
Nine years ago today I met these two little bugs. In this picture they are not even a year old.
A lot has changed since then, but they will always be my smiling babies, ready to be hugged or give a hug.
Their big party is tomorrow and for the first time it will not be at home. My babies are growing up.
Happy, happy birthday Max and Rebecca.
A lot has changed since then, but they will always be my smiling babies, ready to be hugged or give a hug.
Their big party is tomorrow and for the first time it will not be at home. My babies are growing up.
Happy, happy birthday Max and Rebecca.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Popping Over To 14
Today is Jake's 14th birthday.
He has matured so much this past year, almost as though he had a Bar Mitzvah or something (Heee).
Today he got to celebrate in a low key fashion that fits him to a tee. He requested popovers and bacon for breakfast. His first choice was Yorkshire pudding, but I put the kibosh on that since it requires me to roast some beef. Not gonna happen in this heat or at breakfast time. Then it was pizza for lunch and takeout Chinese for dinner. Oh and the soda flowed all day long, much to the delight of his younger siblings (soda is such for Shabbat dinner, holidays and parties).
Nate asked if there was going to be a party and we said no. Once you have your B'nai Mitzvah big parties are a thing of the past. Jake was fine with that and after a bit of thought Nate understood the reasoning.
So happy birthday to my first born child.
He has matured so much this past year, almost as though he had a Bar Mitzvah or something (Heee).
Today he got to celebrate in a low key fashion that fits him to a tee. He requested popovers and bacon for breakfast. His first choice was Yorkshire pudding, but I put the kibosh on that since it requires me to roast some beef. Not gonna happen in this heat or at breakfast time. Then it was pizza for lunch and takeout Chinese for dinner. Oh and the soda flowed all day long, much to the delight of his younger siblings (soda is such for Shabbat dinner, holidays and parties).
Nate asked if there was going to be a party and we said no. Once you have your B'nai Mitzvah big parties are a thing of the past. Jake was fine with that and after a bit of thought Nate understood the reasoning.
So happy birthday to my first born child.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Happy Birthday Nana!
Today is not only the anniversary of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, it is also the birthday of my favorite octogenarian.
Last year, along with my brother, I was able to visit my mother and celebrate her 80th in style. We went out, we spent hours and hours talking, and just had a good time.
This year we couldn't visit. I had seemingly a million commitments this weekend and my brother has a new job and a new baby. So we had to settle with long phone calls and flowers.
My cousin was going to come up from Boston and take her out, but at her insistence she put it off for a few weeks. He was busy and she knew he would be stretching himself mighty thin with the visit. She declared that if the Queen of England can pick when her birthday was to be celebrated, then she could too. May should have nicer weather and her nephew could have a far more leisurely visit.
That's my mom, Queen of Vermont.
Last year, along with my brother, I was able to visit my mother and celebrate her 80th in style. We went out, we spent hours and hours talking, and just had a good time.
This year we couldn't visit. I had seemingly a million commitments this weekend and my brother has a new job and a new baby. So we had to settle with long phone calls and flowers.
My cousin was going to come up from Boston and take her out, but at her insistence she put it off for a few weeks. He was busy and she knew he would be stretching himself mighty thin with the visit. She declared that if the Queen of England can pick when her birthday was to be celebrated, then she could too. May should have nicer weather and her nephew could have a far more leisurely visit.
That's my mom, Queen of Vermont.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Happy Birthday to the One I Love
I'm just wishing a quick happy birthday to the guy that captured my heart.
He wasn't this young when we met, but I have been with him for over half of my life.
The post is a bit late, I was busy today having a nice birthday lunch with Larry and then getting him his present. And then, horrors of horrors, children wanted to actually use the computer for their homework.
What is the world coming to?
So it's late, but that's life.
Happy Birthday Larry!
He wasn't this young when we met, but I have been with him for over half of my life.
The post is a bit late, I was busy today having a nice birthday lunch with Larry and then getting him his present. And then, horrors of horrors, children wanted to actually use the computer for their homework.
What is the world coming to?
So it's late, but that's life.
Happy Birthday Larry!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Birthday in Motion
Friday we had Nate's birthday party at the local laser tag facility. Nate got to invite a bunch of his friends and then spend the evening trying to shot them all up. Which, from the eleven year old boy perspective, is an awesome thing to do.
As is often the case, I have very few pictures of Nate that are not blurred by his constant motion. I like the one featured here because you can see the grin plastered all over his face. Even though his laser gun died halfway through the first of two games, he still had a fabulous time. Fortunately he wasn't stuck with the same gun and was able to come in second during the next game.
As for the cake, I'm very pleased on how it came out.
Nate wanted a plain cake with vanilla frosting. His only decorating request was that he would like to have a three dimension tank on top. I asked him if he wanted soldiers as well . He was delighted with the idea and said yes he would like my soldiers to make an appearance. (and yes I did say my soldiers, I have my very own set that is kept safe and is only used for cake decorating).
After a bit of thought I agreed to the task and this is what I made. It took three cupcakes (leftovers from Wednesday's cupcake drop off at school on his actual birthday), seven pretzels, and a whole lot of frosting. With careful carving of the cupcakes I was able to fashion a cute little tank. I think the best part is the wheels. I was originally planning on just drawing them on, but I got a great idea as I looked for a pretzel stick for the tank's gun. I could use the mini-twists are were in the same snack bag as the pretzel stick to represent the wheels and tank treads.
Nate loved the cake and his friends were pretty darn impressed.
As is often the case, I have very few pictures of Nate that are not blurred by his constant motion. I like the one featured here because you can see the grin plastered all over his face. Even though his laser gun died halfway through the first of two games, he still had a fabulous time. Fortunately he wasn't stuck with the same gun and was able to come in second during the next game.
As for the cake, I'm very pleased on how it came out.
Nate wanted a plain cake with vanilla frosting. His only decorating request was that he would like to have a three dimension tank on top. I asked him if he wanted soldiers as well . He was delighted with the idea and said yes he would like my soldiers to make an appearance. (and yes I did say my soldiers, I have my very own set that is kept safe and is only used for cake decorating).
After a bit of thought I agreed to the task and this is what I made. It took three cupcakes (leftovers from Wednesday's cupcake drop off at school on his actual birthday), seven pretzels, and a whole lot of frosting. With careful carving of the cupcakes I was able to fashion a cute little tank. I think the best part is the wheels. I was originally planning on just drawing them on, but I got a great idea as I looked for a pretzel stick for the tank's gun. I could use the mini-twists are were in the same snack bag as the pretzel stick to represent the wheels and tank treads.
Nate loved the cake and his friends were pretty darn impressed.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Party for Two
Thursday was Max and Rebecca's official 8th birthday. They didn't quite get the full birthday treatment as I was just recovering from the piggy flu (and just for the record, Tamiflu totally rocks, it's the best drug ever!).
Instead of cake for breakfast they had to settle for brownies I had made earlier in the week. I did not bring in the planned sugar cookies to share with the classmates. I decided I needed to kept my germy self at home and not serve up a batch of scratch made sugar cookies with a touch of H1N1. Instead we'll make them this coming week.
Admittedly I was feeling much better on Thursday, but I was still not well enough to bake them a cake. So Larry and I stopped by a local ice cream shop and picked up a basic 6" round ice cream cake. We got lucky with our timing and the girl behind the counter was able to pipe their names on top.
But today was a different story.
Their joint party was today.
We have gotten this twin party down to a science. Max invites a bunch of boys and Rebecca invites some girls. We tried to invite their soccer team, but between my being ill and there being no practice or games since the Friday before last we were only able to get one teammate.
For the most part the kids separate out with the boys hanging with the boys and the girls sticking together and that is the way it should be. We try to avoid double invites because I feel kind of bad when parents have to come up with presents for two kids. Mind you we do have a few exceptions. One of the boys invited rides the same bus with the dynamic duo and brought presents for both of them.
Anyhoo, we have been nervously watching the weather for the past few days. It has been cool and rainy for this week and we were hoping for just a brief respite from the rain. Today's weather wasn't perfect, but it was still pretty nice outside. I was able to fix up our bouncy tent and get it set up on the lawn.
As always it was a huge hit with our guests.
The girls did not spend much time in the bouncy tent, but that was understandable considering the how very very active the boys are. Instead they hung around indoors both downstairs and that was fine with me.
About halfway through the party, we decided to was time for our big activity, cup cake decoration. This was such a bit hit last year that we decided to bring it back this year. The kids loved getting to decide chocolate or vanilla frosting and picking out which of the sugar pieces to use. Throw in some sprinkles and you've got yourself a party.
And that is exactly what we got. In fact everyone was having so much fun, nobody wanted to go home. The hallmark of a really good party.
Instead of cake for breakfast they had to settle for brownies I had made earlier in the week. I did not bring in the planned sugar cookies to share with the classmates. I decided I needed to kept my germy self at home and not serve up a batch of scratch made sugar cookies with a touch of H1N1. Instead we'll make them this coming week.
Admittedly I was feeling much better on Thursday, but I was still not well enough to bake them a cake. So Larry and I stopped by a local ice cream shop and picked up a basic 6" round ice cream cake. We got lucky with our timing and the girl behind the counter was able to pipe their names on top.
But today was a different story.
Their joint party was today.
We have gotten this twin party down to a science. Max invites a bunch of boys and Rebecca invites some girls. We tried to invite their soccer team, but between my being ill and there being no practice or games since the Friday before last we were only able to get one teammate.
For the most part the kids separate out with the boys hanging with the boys and the girls sticking together and that is the way it should be. We try to avoid double invites because I feel kind of bad when parents have to come up with presents for two kids. Mind you we do have a few exceptions. One of the boys invited rides the same bus with the dynamic duo and brought presents for both of them.
Anyhoo, we have been nervously watching the weather for the past few days. It has been cool and rainy for this week and we were hoping for just a brief respite from the rain. Today's weather wasn't perfect, but it was still pretty nice outside. I was able to fix up our bouncy tent and get it set up on the lawn.
As always it was a huge hit with our guests.
The girls did not spend much time in the bouncy tent, but that was understandable considering the how very very active the boys are. Instead they hung around indoors both downstairs and that was fine with me.
About halfway through the party, we decided to was time for our big activity, cup cake decoration. This was such a bit hit last year that we decided to bring it back this year. The kids loved getting to decide chocolate or vanilla frosting and picking out which of the sugar pieces to use. Throw in some sprinkles and you've got yourself a party.
And that is exactly what we got. In fact everyone was having so much fun, nobody wanted to go home. The hallmark of a really good party.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Eight Years Ago
It was eight years ago today that we went from a family of four to a family of six.
Tonight we celebrated Max and Rebecca's arrival in the world with dinner out at the restaurant of their choosing. We all had a good time and after wards we had an ice cream cake at home. This weekend we will have their actual party, but that's enough about them now. I'll write about their birthday party next week. Instead I'm sharing with y'all a bit about way back then.
I had already been down this road before, but it was the first time carrying twins and that made all the difference.
As twin pregnancies go, mine was text book and very easy. At the end of pretty much all my appointments my OB would declare me boring and send me home. I kept myself well hydrated, which prevented the dreaded swollen ankles and pre-term labor. From the front I looked like another other pregnant women. But from the side...
Whoa Nellie!
I was huge. I carried them straight out in front of me. From about six months on I was endlessly amused when I was out and about from the audible reactions. At first people would ask if I was due very soon, they would gasp when I would airily reply that a still had a few couple of months to go. As my due date drew near I grew larger and larger, strangers quickly cottoned on that I was carrying twins.
During the last month of my pregnancy we had all sorts of family members stay with us to help me out. The funniest moment was when I drove my brother to the airport. He had extended his stay with us and needed to get his ticket reissued. I tagged along in case he needed any extra cash. As I waddled up to the check in desk and the strained smiles turned my way very clearly told me that they did not want me to board their planes. There was an almost audible sigh when I declared my intention was not to fly, but to help straighten out my brother's ticket.
My expanding belly made things decidedly awkward for me. It was harder and harder for me to get comfortable at night. Pillows and special wedges only worked for a while. During the last week or so I ended up sleeping propped up in a comfy old arm chair in our bedroom. I was so glad that my scheduled induction was at week 36 and not 40. The last couple of weeks were agony. I mentally and physically could not go on much longer.
They were born on a Monday and my OB gave a little cheer when I showed up right on time. She thought I wasn't going to make it through the weekend. And it turned out it was a close thing indeed. I was 5 cm dilated before anything was done. Clearly Max and Rebecca were getting evicted that day.
And come they did. They both had full heads of hair, black for Rebecca and blond for Max. Ironically Rebecca had the longer hair- a punkish little hairdo. While Max, ever he good boy, had a far more conservative mop that ended neatly just above his shirt collar.
Happy birthday my littlest ones, it has been a very fun filled eight years and I wish you many more.
Tonight we celebrated Max and Rebecca's arrival in the world with dinner out at the restaurant of their choosing. We all had a good time and after wards we had an ice cream cake at home. This weekend we will have their actual party, but that's enough about them now. I'll write about their birthday party next week. Instead I'm sharing with y'all a bit about way back then.
I had already been down this road before, but it was the first time carrying twins and that made all the difference.
As twin pregnancies go, mine was text book and very easy. At the end of pretty much all my appointments my OB would declare me boring and send me home. I kept myself well hydrated, which prevented the dreaded swollen ankles and pre-term labor. From the front I looked like another other pregnant women. But from the side...
Whoa Nellie!
I was huge. I carried them straight out in front of me. From about six months on I was endlessly amused when I was out and about from the audible reactions. At first people would ask if I was due very soon, they would gasp when I would airily reply that a still had a few couple of months to go. As my due date drew near I grew larger and larger, strangers quickly cottoned on that I was carrying twins.
During the last month of my pregnancy we had all sorts of family members stay with us to help me out. The funniest moment was when I drove my brother to the airport. He had extended his stay with us and needed to get his ticket reissued. I tagged along in case he needed any extra cash. As I waddled up to the check in desk and the strained smiles turned my way very clearly told me that they did not want me to board their planes. There was an almost audible sigh when I declared my intention was not to fly, but to help straighten out my brother's ticket.
My expanding belly made things decidedly awkward for me. It was harder and harder for me to get comfortable at night. Pillows and special wedges only worked for a while. During the last week or so I ended up sleeping propped up in a comfy old arm chair in our bedroom. I was so glad that my scheduled induction was at week 36 and not 40. The last couple of weeks were agony. I mentally and physically could not go on much longer.
They were born on a Monday and my OB gave a little cheer when I showed up right on time. She thought I wasn't going to make it through the weekend. And it turned out it was a close thing indeed. I was 5 cm dilated before anything was done. Clearly Max and Rebecca were getting evicted that day.
And come they did. They both had full heads of hair, black for Rebecca and blond for Max. Ironically Rebecca had the longer hair- a punkish little hairdo. While Max, ever he good boy, had a far more conservative mop that ended neatly just above his shirt collar.
Happy birthday my littlest ones, it has been a very fun filled eight years and I wish you many more.
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